Embers of Love
by Gaarasgurl666
Summary: My name is Kaya, I'm a firebender who's traveling with Prince Zuko, and this is my story.   Zuko X OC
1. Chapter 1

It had started off like any other day.

"Oi, Kaya, two orders of roast duck!" Yura shouted, snapping her fingers and handing me the piece of paper with the order on it.

"Got it!" I shouted, giving her a thumbs up before turning back to the frying pan, which currently had some vegetables that were ready to be served. "Kim, is the rice ready?"

The head of my partner in crime popped up and she smiled.

"You betcha. Vegetables done?"

"Mhm, here." I handed her the frying pan to take care of while I walked back into the storage room to fetch the roast duck.

My name is Kaya; long ago I had shed my last name. Coming to this Inn in the Earth Kingdom had forced me to destroy many things that made me who I was, including the fact I was a firebender. It was very convenient that I wasn't what most people from the Fire Nation looked like, with my bright red hair and green eyes, while they normally had brown hair, light eyes, and their skin was nowhere near as dark as mine. My tanned skin came from being in the sun doing manual labor, though, if I spent some time inside without doing much I'd turn pale again.

Kim and I were travelers, as I liked to call it that even though she was still technically in her home. She was an earthbender, an orphan I had taken into my care after I'd found her on the street. She had long since known how to defend herself, however my motherly instincts kicked in, and I forced her along with me.

I had left the Fire Nation due to my complete disbelief in the fact what the current Fire Lord was doing was ridiculous. Day in and day out I was supposed to rely on a man who murdered innocent people; I would do no such thing. I had too much pride to follow blindly; sometimes my passion landed me in a lot of trouble with people. Due to this I wasn't well liked, except by a special few who approved of honesty.

"Roast duck is done." Due to my firebending powers, it made it incredibly simple for me to control heat, thus helping the process of cooking, which I also had a natural talent for. I put the roast duck on a plate, handing it to Kim before waiting for Yura to give me my next order.

"Get out there and deliver that yourself." She ordered after stomping into the kitchen. "Those damn pirates are getting all touchy feely and the only two waitresses we have left. Neither of them is going to go out there with them there..."

"So instead you sacrifice me and Kim?" I scowled, picking up the roast duck as Kim was still out delivering the last meal I made to a patron. "Alright, who does it go to?"

"Guy with a scar, and some old man. They also want more tea, so here." She shoved a kettle of tea into my hand; I'm glad I had decent balance or else I would've dropped what I had in my hands and had a rather unpleasant accident. The place wasn't as full as it normally was, only a few tables, and my customers had taken their place at the back of the room, next to the table Kim was serving.

The rowdy pirates where chugging away large amounts of alcohol, laughing wildly and causing trouble, as they were known to do. Of course I'd be subject to pass them; the short skirt I wore as a so called uniform would not go unnoticed by them, as they were pigs. I was used to the harassment due to the uniform; doesn't mean I didn't know how to deal with them.

I had the manual labor to thank for my strength and the hard streets to thank for my hand to hand fighting skill. I couldn't go blasting fire everywhere in a busy city, especially when I was trying to stay undercover. After the raids the fire nation soldiers put the Earthbender Kingdom through, they weren't generally accepting of firebenders…

I attempted to serve the two odd fellows without any problems, placing their meal in front of them and pouring them so more tea. I was glancing over at the one boy, whose eye and one part of his face had been burnt badly when I heard Kim cry out loudly in disgust and turned around; a rowdy pirate had taken to squeezing a part of her she'd rather no one touch.

Me, being the protective and wonderful person I was, decided to step in before it got out of hand. I yanked the pirate back from where he was standing, in the process he released Kim's bum from his grip, and threw him back on the table. He was about to get up when I grabbed onto the ragged shirt he wore.

"You listen here, pal. We're not your little service girls, we cook you food, you eat it and then you leave. Got it?" The pirate smirked, licking his cracked lips as his eyes trailed over my tanned legs, before landing on the fiery hair that framed my face.

"You're a pretty lady, such fiery hair tah go wit' ya temper." I ignored his speech impediment and instead smirked as my fist connected with his jaw, sending him flying back over a few tables and ruining the meals of his buddies. Another one of his friends stood up to defend him; unfortunately, I wasn't quite able to control fire as much as normally would've been able to if I kept a level head. I tried my best to keep my temper under control; it was more difficult than you would think.

The effort was wasted it seems, as the tips of the pirates hat caught on fire and he screamed bloody murder, throwing it on the ground and attempting to put it out. The floor being wooden and what not would've caused another fire, had Kim not come out with a bucket of dirty water and thrown it at the fire, dousing it and the man. We shared a look of amusement; teamwork at its best.

"If you'll be leaving now, that'd be fantastic." Kim snapped, pointing towards the door. The pirates stood up without question; I was glad none of them wanted me to set them on fire, as I definitely would've been willing to show them my power had they agitated me anymore. As soon as the last pirate filed out, I started to collect the broken dishes. I'd have to clean up all this wonderful food that I had cooked. It probably would've been delicious.

"My, my, such skills I see for such a young lady." The older man from the table I had served commented. "I hadn't expected to see a firebender around these parts." I scowled. Oh, he'd caught that, huh? Well now I knew I was in some trouble; my naturally witty mind seemed to have come to a halt when confronted directly about something I had tried to keep hidden.

"It wasn't me firebending..." I stated, searching for an excuse to use. I diverted my eyes from the man, staring hard at the wall as I tried to think of a viable excuse.

"Oh?" He commented with a smile. "Than what was it?" His and his companion's eyes were both on me now; his companion however, wore a frown while the older man seemed much more relaxed.

"Spontaneous combustion." I commented, before returning to the kitchen with Kim following closely behind.

"I can't believe you set him on fire." Kim laughed, placing a hand over her mouth in a poor attempt to muffle her laughter.

"I can't believe you let him grab your butt!" I grinned as she turned pink; she was too innocent for her own good at times. She huffed, crossing her arms and grabbing a broom.

"You'll never let me forget it, will you?" I shook my head.

"Oh, never." I grinned, taking the frying pan and beginning to wash it in the sink. The quicker we cleaned, the quicker we could go back to our rooms and be in peace, as dinner hour was now over and done with. Yura walked back in with a scowl, peering from me to Kim until addressing us.

"Look, I already knew you were a firebender, but did you have to scorch my floors? Honestly." Yura growled, crossing her arms as she glared at me. Oh no, she was not calling me out for the fact she hadn't even noticed they were pirates in the beginning. "Those two guys out there wanna talk to you. Get to it before I fire YOU." Kim looked at me, confused, but followed me out so she could begin sweeping up the rest of the mess.

"Ah, our lovely waitress returns." The old man smiled up at me and I blushed a bit. Whenever someone complimented me, it bothered me, as if flattery would make me any easier to talk to.

"I have a name. It's Kaya, so use that and not waitress." The man smiled warmly, apparently unbothered by the attitude; he was blatantly ignoring the fact I obviously didn't want to be talking to him.

"Ah, I am Iroh, and this is my nephew, Zuko." And suddenly it clicked in my head, exactly why this boy had suddenly seemed so familiar to me. It was Prince Zuko, the Fire Lord's son. I hadn't even recognized him; it must've had to do with the new hairstyle he seemed to be sporting. "You are quite an amazing cook."

"Er... Thanks?" I muttered, shrugging my shoulders as my face heated up. No matter how many times I've heard it, it still makes me blush.

"Uncle." Zuko growled impatiently, his eyes narrowing at Iroh. He crossed his arms impatiently. Oh, is Princey getting annoyed with his time being wasted?

"Oh, right, I've gotten distracted by this young girls beauty." From that moment I knew something was going on, I hadn't been complimented on my looks before. My hair, yes, my general appearance, no. I was used to the comments such as 'Wow, you're an amazing fighter!' and 'Your cooking is delicious, women really do belong in the kitchen!'

"You're coming with us." Zuko finally snapped, standing up from the table and grabbing hard onto my wrist. Most girls would've screamed and been alarmed; I met his amber eyes with a steady gaze.

"Excuse me?" I tried to tear my wrist from his grip but failed; he was pretty strong.

"You're going to help us hunt the Avatar."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't agree to help, nor was I asked." I hated being ordered around like a puppet, I did what I wanted, when I wanted. I finally got up the strength to pull my arm from his hand and turned to walk to the kitchen but was stopped by Iroh.

"It would be nice to travel, no? We could use such a fine cook to go along with us on our journey." The Avatar was our last hope, though... It was then that an idea came to me. If I went along with Zuko, what if I sidetracked him from his mission, long enough for the Avatar to return and defeat his father. I could always take Kim with me; I wasn't going to leave her behind.

And that was how we joined Prince Zuko in his search for the Avatar.


	2. Chapter 2

Kim seemed nervous about being on the road with Prince Zuko and Iroh, but I don't see why. She knew I'd protect her if anything happened to her. The thing about Kim, however, was that she was a sickly person. It didn't take a lot to wear her energy down, and as we walked more and more I could see her growing weaker and weaker. Her face was pale and she couldn't quite walk in a straight line.

"Can we stop, maybe? My feet hurt real bad..." Kim murmured, rubbing the soles of her feet and wincing. She'd always had problems with her feet; otherwise it was how she stayed connected with the earth. She loved everything about nature. She was normally this quiet; I figured it was just because she was really shy around guys, let alone people we hardly know.

Why had I agreed to this again? Oh yeah, for the Avatars sake. Zuko and Iroh stopped and looked back at the two of us, glancing at each other before I spoke for Kim.

"Yeah, I think we should find somewhere to stay." I was growing tired; too, it had been a long day after all. Iroh sighed.

"We're fugitives, running from the Fire Nation; we don't have time to rest. We must stay hidden from people." He explained. Kim grimaced; I knew if I hadn't been here she would've continued on without another word.

"We want to rest and if you don't let us, I will hurt you." I had no idea of course whether I could or not, I just knew Kim needed to rest or she'd get sicker. There was no way I was going to let these jerks take over my life. I crossed my arms and stood in front of Zuko, who towered over me. Damn short stature, it certainly made me less intimidating, until I set them on fire or put their face into a beehive.

"I'm not going to fight you." Zuko scowled. I scoffed and didn't back down. Iroh and Kim were staring off from the side, looking at us like we were a show in some theatre.

"Well maybe we could live in the forest... I see smoke coming from over there." Kim shakily pointed out the smoke that was floating up into the air from some trees a short distance away. Either it was a campfire or someone had a serious hate for trees. Kim remained distracted as we walked towards the smoke.

Zuko of course led the way, the petty little prince probably thought himself as the strongest of the group. I scowled. I didn't like people as it was, let alone people who acted like the biggest jerks on the planet. We took a few steps until the trees around us rustled. Zuko stopped holding out his arm to stop us from running. It felt as if we were being watched, and that's when I realized something was wrong.

Three boys dropped a net on us, and descended from the tree, landing in front of us. I let out an annoyed cry and tried to get the net out of me; the other three attempted to do the same thing and only ended up in us getting more tangled up.

The next thing I knew, we were all in a tree house, tied up and being interrogated. The one boy looked older than the rest; he was chewing on a piece of grass or something... I was too annoyed to bother with the little details. Besides his odd eyebrows. And suspicious brown eyes. And messy brown hair that he needed to run a brush through.

"What do we have here, some intruders?" He grinned as he looked each of us over; none of us had anything discerning us as enemies. In fact Kim had on her Earth Kingdom outfit, the ones the nobles wore. Jet's eyes landed on me first; obviously my hair is what put him off the most. I scowled, realizing I was going to be subject to his torture as long as I was bound by these ropes.

"Why's your hair like that?" He leaned close, his eyes scanning my face, hair, and then a bit lower. I wish I was born without boobs. I growled and whipped my head forward, successfully cracking my head hard against his and sending him teetering backwards. He looked shocked, as did the two children who were beside him.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, using my feet to push me back against the wall of the tree house; it was the farthest I could get from him. Zuko looked back at me in disbelief. The boy leaned forward rubbing his forehead, before smirking, his eyes shining mischievously.

"Cute and a fighter? Double win." He grinned, and then turned to Kim. "But I prefer the girls who look like little dolls." He walked over and touched Kim's cheek, a grin on his face. I glared daggers as he got closer to her; he better not think about hurting her

"Who could ever think that red headed witch is cute?" He glanced over at me and I glared back at him.

"Who could think you were cute!" I snapped back. The boy shushed us both.

"I'm Jet. And these guys here are my Freedom Fighters. I want you two to join." He pointed to Zuko and I with a smirk. "You two are just the kind of warriors we need."

"Would you like me to show you how powerful my fists are?" Kim shot me a disproving look that silenced me; I didn't want to upset her after all. So I did something incredibly unnatural for me; I sat silently. Jet looked disappointed; I suppose he enjoyed our witty banter.

Jet untied us, almost all of us, he decided until further notice I was to be tied up. Kim stayed beside me though; Zuko and Iroh took their spots near the fire that had been built in the middle of the room, listening as Jet told the tale of his village. All I could do was think that something was wrong with him, I didn't like this kid.

I stared out the window at the stars instead, rather than listening to his ranting as intently as Kim was. He was speaking of his distrust of the Fire Nation, stating that they had killed his parents and that at one point in his life he had wanted to kill them no matter how many sacrifices he had to make. I wanted to laugh at the irony, as he had two fire nation residents in front of him. In fact, the Prince was sitting in front of him and he had absolutely no idea.

It was then that I saw it. A spider. A long legged, hairy, black demon spider that was coming straight at me. I squeaked unhappily, attempting to smash it before I realized my arms were tied.I gathered the attention of all in the room as I squeaked and rolled away from where the demonic hell spider was. Jet stood up and was about to question me before I kicked him in the face, hard. He caught my foot before it hit his face, but he had underestimated my strength and stumble backwards at the impact.

Zuko had jumped up at my sudden movement, as did Iroh, and they were both staring at me, Iroh looking more worried than Zuko.

"Get these ropes offa me!" I shouted; that's when it happened. The flames I couldn't control when I was angry came back and singed the ropes, causing them to easily break under my strength. They snapped as I strained against them; Zuko and Iroh shared an odd look and looked at Jet, who was eyeing my suspiciously.

"What... did you do to get them off?" His eyes were suddenly narrowed, a deep hatred beginning to reflect in them as he glared at me. I can't say that anyone has ever looked at me with such malice.

"I used all my strength; my fear of spiders makes my strength increase tenfold."

"You did all of that because of a spider?" Zuko snickered. I glared at him again, sitting upright and crossing my arms; I didn't appreciate the fact that Jet's eyes hadn't left me for a second. He suddenly regarded me suspiciously, especially as he checked the rope and noticed the singed parts of it.

"Where'd these come from?" He asked, holding up the singed parts of rope and nearly shoving them in my face. I felt anger bubble up in my stomach again but I chose to answer calmly.

"Fricition." He looked completely annoyed at me now; he obviously thought that I took him for a fool. The tension in the room increased as Jet tossed the rope down and his eyes landed on the other two. He knew that Kim wasn't a firebender, but now he regarded Iroh and Zuko with suspicion. And it was my fault; me and my stupid temper had blown their cover.

"You're a liar." The anger bubbled again, I hated when I was called a liar, especially when the exact opposite was true. I was one of the only honest people left in the world; it was why I didn't have many friends, and why I didn't like many people.

"Don't act like you know me." I snapped. Judgmental people, did he push all firebenders into the same category. I pushed myself up and started to exit the tree house, when Kim grabbed onto my arm and pulled me back.

"Don't go." She murmured, the look in her eyes was unmistakable. I couldn't leave her alone, after she'd been alone her whole life, I don't think she'd want me to go now. I sighed, realizing what a pushover I felt like and sat down next to Zuko, who had turned to me and raised an eyebrow. He was probably questioning why I had stayed but I had no time to worry about what he thought. Kim sat next to me on my other side; for her sake I would be forced to ignore the annoying looks he was shooting me.

"Uhm, I have a question…" Kim started shyly, Jet shot her a grin and a blush fell on her face. Could she really be attracted to this fool? "Why can't I fight, as well?"

"I don't want you to get hurt, my little doll." He got a bit closer to Kim, sending her another smile. I turned to the side and stuck my tongue out in disgust; Zuko seemed to be amused at my reaction to Jet. We shared a look before I glared at him and crossed my arms, and stared into the fire. I forgot that Princey was still a big jerk.

"Well you three can sleep in here; there are three cots over there." Jet pointed a thumb to the corner where three poorly made cots were, before he grabbed Kim's shoulder and pulled her with him. "I'll lead her to a different place; there aren't enough cots for all of you." Kim and I looked at each other for a second, I sighed, even though I'd rather her not be away from me in a place like this, at least I knew Jet would take care of her. She smiled apologetically before leaving with Jet, leaving me with the two firebenders.

Oh, what have I gotten myself into?


	3. Chapter 3

"I swear to God if he touches her I'll end him…" I grumbled under my breath. I was leaning on the ledge of the tree house's window, my elbow holding me up as I stared at the trees. If I didn't start keeping my anger in check I'd set this whole place on fire and then he'd really know I was a firebender. He'd have all the proof he needed to rip me to shreds.

"I'm sure she can handle herself." Zuko scoffed. "Why are you worrying so much over her anyway?" I continued to stare at the stars, keeping my anger in check meant that I would have to ignore anything Zuko had to say to me. He didn't appreciate my efforts to ignore him.

"She's the only person I have left!" I finally replied, raising my voice without really meaning to. But I was tired, cranky, and ready for sleep and Zuko's attitude was not something I wanted to death with right now. I turned back around and ignored the other two in the room, thinking of the painful things I could do to Jet if he ever hurt Kim. There was just something about him that rubbed me the wrong way.

"Would you like some tea?" Iroh offered with a smile, holding out a cup to my turned back. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head, curiously eyeing the cup he had in his hand.

"Where'd you even get that cup from?"

"Tea now, questions later." Iroh winked. I sighed and joined him, sitting across from Zuko as the three of us piled around the fire. Instead of doing the smart thing and using the fire to heat the tea he kept stowed away somewhere in his outfit, he used firebending and heated the tea. Unfortunately it's when our good friend Jet decided to pop in. He looked at Iroh suspiciously, Zuko glared at his uncle for not thinking and Iroh shrugged.

"Here's your blankets." He scowled; it seems he had dropped the kind façade because Kim wasn't around. Zuko caught the blankets before they roasted on the open fire, and I stood up and glared at him.

"You can leave now. Goodnight." If only there was a door to slam. Jet sneered at me.

"You're all firebenders. I'm gonna prove it eventually." Jet sent each of us a cold glare, I for one, was incredibly annoyed with his attitude. I was clearly not a soldier for the fire nation, a simple bender of the fiery variety, and yet he was pushing as all into one category.

"Have fun with that." I replied. It was now that the amount I cared about what he had to say drained to zero percent. Jet was about to say something, certainly demeaning me and my attitude, but I snapped at him before he could talk again. "If I have never cared what someone had to say about me before, what makes you think I'd start to care _now_?"

"It's like talking to a post, she's stubborn." Zuko commented. "So leave." Whoa, scarface was sticking up for me now? And he had a little bit of princey attitude? I can say that I might have liked him a bit more now. Jet seemed to be insulted, however he left, probably back to flirting with my child, which got me fired up again.

"If he lays one hand on her…" I growled, taking a blanket from Zuko's arm and lying down on a cot. It was going to be impossible to sleep, normally I had Kim near me while I slept, and it felt a lot safer that way. I could feel Zuko's eyes on my back and ignored him; he was probably questioning why my mood seemed to change so frequently. It was much like a flickering flame that could spark and grow larger and full of wrath if provoked. Fire was not something to play with, and neither was I.

But I put up a front so that no one could take advantage of me. Kim was one of the only people who knew most things about me, but she only knew the motherly side of me. I kept my problems to myself, and that's the way it'd always be. No one would see the vulnerable side of me that just wanted to be held and protected; I didn't have the time to deal with my own problems. The last thing I thought about before going to sleep was why I had even gotten myself into this situation in the first place.

I awoke at the normal hours I was used to; early, as the sun was rising. I stood up and stretched, tiptoeing around Zuko and Iroh who had placed their cots near mine. I took the early morning opportunity to find Kim; I navigated between each tree house as quietly as possible. I, of course, not having psychic abilities, entered many wrong houses at first.

I ran into a little boy who was sleeping, an odd looking doll in his hand. He muttered something about jelly and not mixing the boxes before throwing the doll at me; I scowled and caught it, about to throw it back before I was interrupted by the house beside him waking up. I squeaked and hurried off, heading towards the largest house now. I peeked inside, and lo and behold, there she was, sitting up and tiredly rubbing her eyes.

She smiled at the sight of me and I smiled in return, plopping down beside her. I pulled out the doll and shoved it in her face.

"Okay, using this doll, point to where Jet touched you." Kim blushed, crossing her arms and turning away.

"Nothing happened, Kaya. I'm fine." My eyes narrowed at her, the blush on her face made it obvious that something had happened. I'd get it out of her somehow, for now, however, Jet interrupted our conversation. He put on another fake smile as he greeted the two of us.

"Your buddy's lookin' for you." Jet nodded his head towards the tree house I'd shared with Zuko and Iroh. "You should get going." Kim gasped, as she knew it was a smart idea to not order me around. My temper was about to flare up again, Jets hair about to be set on fire if Zuko hadn't interrupted. He grabbed hard onto my hand and pulled me away from Kim, and from Jet. If I hadn't been so focused on not giving Jet a dangerous haircut, I would've pulled away from Zuko.

"Will you relax?" He growled once we were a safe distance away. "You run right into him, you can't even control your powers; you'll reveal us before noon if you keep this up. You need to-"

"I don't need to do anything. I'm so sick of people telling me I have to do this, and I have to do that. I don't have to do anything!" I prodded a finger into his chest.

"You do if you don't want to end up arrested!" Zuko snapped back. Iroh had joined us by then and had attempted to calm Zuko down. It looks like he had a bit of a temper as well. I could already see this journey was going to turn out just fantastic.

The Firebender squad, as I liked to call, Zuko, Iroh and myself, filed back into the tree house that had become our temporary shelter. Zuko and I were still annoyed at each other, but I have to say he's starting to become a little more… attractive? I liked a guy who stood up to me. And I'm pretty sure he hadn't quite met someone like me before. He didn't seem to happy with Jet constantly pissing me off, that was certain.

Kim joined us, sitting beside me as I played with the fire. Kim was about to say something when Jet burst into the room.

"Breakfast is ready, so it's best to get to the table fast." Jet rushed Kim from the room, leaving me pissed of beyond belief. He didn't even bother pretending he cared about us anymore. I bit my lip so hard that it had begun to bleed; Zuko placed a hand on my shoulder but I brushed it off.

"The sooner we get away from here the better." I murmured to him softly. I didn't use that tone too often, but no matter what kind of front I put up, I was still sensitive to how others felt. And all I felt from Jet was hostility. Iroh patted my shoulder kindly; I think he understood me better than I knew.

"You shouldn't worry about what others think of you." As I was about to stutter back a reply, Iroh began to speak again. "You are a caring young lady; you remind me of Zuko in many ways. A tough outer appearance, a soft heart." I crossed my arms and frowned; it was for Kim, right? So I shouldn't be feeling like this. Zuko seemed to give me a sympathetic look and I couldn't deal with it, I left and headed towards the breakfast table.

Kim was sat down right next to him, as I suspected she would be, but that left me sitting and glaring in annoyance. Every time I went to say something to her, Jet would do something to interrupt. Finally, it was the last straw. I was at my boiling point, and I was done taking his attitude for her. Just because she liked him I wasn't going to let him embarrass me.

I went to speak to her again, and he interrupted me, as I suspected he would.

"So Kim, what do you want to do today? Perhaps I could show you around our little village." Jet smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder playfully. I slammed my fist on the table, gaining attention from everyone in the room, including Jet.

"Excuse me. I was going to say something to her first. You could wait your turn." Jet's angry gaze fell onto me, before his mouth turned into a grin.

"Well I think what I say is more important than what any lousy firebender like you has to say." I could tell Kim was getting upset, but my anger flew through the roof at that moment. How dare he insult me, I bet I was stronger than he was-

"Do you not realize not all firebenders are bad? Don't talk to her like that. Or else." Zuko's eyes flared dangerously, he was angry about what Jet had said to me. Was it because it was me, or was it because he had also been insulted? Jet and Zuko were almost ready to break out in a full out brawl, when Kim stood up abruptly and left. I would've run after her had Jet decided to speak once more.

"Get outta here scarface. Your kind is disgusting." Flames surrounded Zuko in his moment of anger, him and Jet's eyes never left each others as Jet reached for his hook swords. I grabbed onto Zuko before he clobbered Jet and with the help of Iroh, calmed him down and drug him back to the tree house. I could tell we were no longer welcome here; we'd be leaving as soon as possible. I was as angry as Jet, and while Zuko seemed to compress his anger, I was still fuming.

"Who the hell does he think he is? We're probably better people than any of the little savages here. He's such a-" I punched the tree house wall, not such a good idea as my fist easily went through it. "I hope he has a fun time fixing these walls." I punched another hole into the wall for good measure; the aching in my fist was getting to me now. Zuko frowned, his arms crossed.

"You're both very hot headed." Iroh smiled. "I hope your grandchildren don't have attitudes like the two of you."

Oh lord Agni, give me the power to survive this journey.


	4. Chapter 4

We both turned to Iroh with gaping mouths and wide eyes; what had he just said?

"Kids? With him?"

"K-Kids? With her!"

"Never!" We shouted in unison, glaring at each other and turning away. What a ridiculous thought! Me having children with that stupid boy! Who seemed to have proudly defended me from Jet's insults… No! He only did so because it was an insult to firebending, and he was firebender, too! I couldn't be naïve about things anymore; it's how I got hurt. Like when I thought I'd have a home. Or when I thought I actually had a family. Once you'd been let down enough you learned to think before you hoped.

"Who'd want to have children with her!"

"Yeah, because YOU'RE really, the most _pleasant_ person to be around! The only reason anyone would be with you is for your title as soon to be Fire Lord!"

"At least someone would want to be with me." I scowled; I'd learned to ignore the harsh things people had said to me, but this one sort of cut deep. I'd always been self conscious of myself, my odd hair color and attitude that was hard to keep a cap on. I guess his words made more sense than I wanted them to.

"If you think YOUR attitude is helping you get a girl, than you're dead wrong, buddy. Because no one is going to want to put up with you. Maybe the same goes for me, but at least I can admit it." With one last huff, I exited the tree house, choosing to take a stroll through the forest. I prayed, for Jet's sake, that he wouldn't appear down here, as I was now twice as likely to bite his face off.

"Stupid attractive prince." I scowled and crossed my arm. "Who does he think he is? Telling me things I'd already known." I was born to be a mother to those who needed one, who had lived without them their whole lives. I wasn't meant to have a husband and a child of my own; I didn't know what it'd be like to have a family. But why was he making me think like this? "This whole thing was a bad idea."

"I don't think so." Kim emerged from behind a tree and took a seat next to me on the forest floor. "We've gotta take our chances, right? That's why I made a decision…" I turned to her, biting my lip as I waited for her to speak again.

"How are you feeling from earlier?" She shook her head, an annoyed frown coming on her face. I had gotten this from her more than enough times; I don't care enough about myself and blah blah blah…

"This is the point. You worry and worry about me, I'm fine! I can take care of myself. Which is why I think it's good if I stay here for awhile. You need time to think about yourself, okay?" Kim was choosing Jet, over me? It was at that moment that normal demeanor I put up for everyone cracked; any anger I had felt had turned into a deep feeling of sadness. And then I cried. I let out a sob and buried my face in my hands and cried my eyes out. Never had a felt such a deep despair build up in my stomach.

It was like the pressure of the world was being thrown on my shoulders, now even Kim was leaving. Was I that unbearable to be around? She looked at me shocked, slightly taken aback, as in the many years she's known me, I've never cried in front of her. I never let her know the weak side of me. But now she's leaving and it was difficult to wrap my head around the idea.

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly as she sat there awkwardly. I pulled myself together for a second, and I once again stopped thinking of myself.

"If it's what you want, then fine." I sniffled a bit, thinking, Oh God, I'm completely pathetic. I hoped no one noticed… Who was I kidding? No one paid enough attention to me to even care; I was the only person who really cared about others emotions. It was a horrible feeling, to feel alone in the world, to feel like you're the only one who cared. Was it so hard to ask for the same treatment in return? It didn't have to last forever, just for a short amount of time would be nice-

"Do you wanna be left alone or…?" She seemed worried, but I couldn't blame her. She wasn't used to me having emotions that weren't anger or bitter cheerfulness. She had broken me from my thoughts either way; I didn't want to worry her more, so I figured it was better if she wasn't around.

"If you don't mind…" I muttered. "We'll… Zuko, Iroh, and I, will be leaving as soon as possible." She frowned a bit, looking me over one last time. She must be thinking about whether or not it'd be safe to leave me alone. But she nodded, giving me a tight hug before leaving again. I didn't cry again, I'm proud to say, however I sat in silence with nature. It was nice to listen to the chirping of birds, feeling the wind caress my cheek. Not even nature could cure that feeling going through me at the moment.

"I wish I had a punching bag." I lifted a finger and a flame formed; I smiled as it flickered with the blowing wind. I had always loved to watch fire; it was so wild and free. I had been compared to fire before, wild and free, a disaster waiting to happen. Fire was a beautiful thing, hard to be tamed and controlled; I couldn't say I minded being compared to the element I had grown so fond of.

"You should be careful, with Jet running around, he'll use any excuse to fight you." I let the flame flicker out before seeing who had interrupted my alone time. Zuko was slowly walking forward, albeit slowly at first. He was acting wary of my next movements, and I couldn't blame him. I was a dangerous girl, guys would be stupid if they thought of getting close to me… It was a lonely life to live, but I would stay true to myself.

"Don't you think you've done enough damage?" I spat, turning away from him. Just seeing his face made my insides turn, I wouldn't forget his comments so easily. He stopped where he was standing, silently staring at my back.

"I'm sorry." His voice came out softly; the wind had muffled it to the point where I couldn't hear him.

"Excuse me?" I turned around and eyed him suspiciously. He coughed, a bit taken aback as a light blush dusted his cheeks and he spoke again.

"I said I'm sorry." It took a few seconds for the words to sink in before I realized what he said; it's then that I got annoyed at him. Not that I didn't appreciate the notion, however…

"Well I'm not taking back anything I said. I told the truth." He looked annoyed at first, biting back any words that would've irked me more. I had to admit at times I sounded harsh, but here's a nice lesson in reality for Princey. "But that doesn't mean you can't change." I stood up, brushing leaves and dirt off my pants before standing in front of him. "People can change, and if you make a change for the better, I think some girl would be lucky to have you. But you gotta work on smiling more." I reached forward and curved the corners of his mouth upwards with my fingers; it formed a smile, a ridiculous one, but a smile was a smile.

He seemed speechless; he was gaping at me as if I had three heads. I guess no one had ever given him a heavy dose of reality; good thing I was around, eh? I smiled and patted his shoulder.

"It's a damn good thing you have me to set you straight, eh? I'll make you a real man in no time!" And maybe for the briefest of seconds, a small smile that wasn't completely goofy flitted across Zuko's face but disappeared as he followed me back into camp.

The time for tearful goodbyes came, and I think I would've broken down if it hadn't been for the fact everyone was watching. I wasn't about to show any emotion in front of all of these people, no matter how badly I hurt. I gave Kim a warm smile, hugging her tightly. I knew I had to let her go, I was less willing than I showed to let her go off on her own, but I knew I had to let her go eventually. After all, she wasn't truly my child.

"Don't think I'm mad at you. I'm glad…" I whispered to her, so that only she could hear. "Every mother has to let her child out of their nest and face the world on their own, no? I'm proud of you." I patted her back before pulling away and offering a smile. Her eyes glowed with an unknown feeling; she appreciated what I had said, but maybe a small inkling of her didn't want me to leave her, either.

"Thank you." She smiled back at me, Jet standing by her side as I pulled away from her. I still had a deep seated dislike for this jerk boy; however I now was being forced to place my trust within him. I glanced at Kim, realizing this would be the last time in awhile that I'd be seeing her. I knew she could take care of herself, but a part of me would always miss her presence; we had been together for such a long time, a life without her was even imagined, until now.

"If you hurt her, I swear to God, I will slowly burn every part of your body right down to the bone. There will be nothing left of you." I hissed into Jet's ear after grabbing onto the front part of his armor; I made it so only Kim and Jet could hear what I had to say. He smirked a bit, although he might've seemed a bit off put at having been threatened so violently, I knew anything involving him was going to be a challenge. Kim sent me a shocked look, frowning in disapproval at my previous comment. Well, she knew I was protective, didn't she? I patted both of their shoulders again, saying goodbye for the last time before Zuko, Iroh, and I disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

We had walked for what felt like almost a day, I was growing tired but the other two didn't seem to be growing sleepy at all. I guess they had much better endurance than me… I sighed, deciding to push on instead of complaining about the bad conditions. My feet began to ache horribly, but I had been through so much, living on the streets half of my life that ignoring the pain began to be easy. We had traveled for nearly a day straight, with only a minutes rest. These two weren't kidding when they said they were on the go.

We were travelling through the mountains; there were no trees to safely hide or sleep in. I attempted to push on, but I was forced to stop once I felt a sharp rock puncture the bottom of my foot. I winced, rubbing the bottom of my sole in pain. Zuko let out annoyed sigh before sweeping me off my feet, literally, and carrying me in his arms. I was ready to complain when Zuko hushed me.

"We have to move on. There's nowhere to rest." Iroh just stood on the side, smiling knowingly at the two of us. This ruffled my feathers even more but I said nothing, instead crossing my arms and pouting.

We reached a town; it was a beautiful place full of wonderful architecture and shining ponds, wildlife everywhere and shops a plenty. In fact, we passed by an animal sanctuary that had turtle-ducks and many other animals that the children could pet and feed up close. Zuko seemed to linger by the place for a second before moving on. A large Inn resided near the center of town; however it was obviously much too expensive for any of us to afford.

"Excuse me." A ladies voice caused the two firebenders to stop, and me to try and peer over Zuko's shoulder to see her. She was a stout older woman with curly brown hair and kind grey eyes. "You two look like powerful warriors, would you like to participate in a battle-extravaganza? Winners get a cash prize, along with the title of champion."

"No thanks." Zuko declined the offer politely. "We have other things to do." Well, I wouldn't mind participating in a battle or two, but I guess I was at the whim of Zuko and Iroh. The woman, however, didn't give up.

"You're travelers, right?" She looked us over. "You can stay at my Inn free of charge if you participate." She pointed to the luxurious Inn that we had, a few minutes ago, decided was too expensive to even ask a price on. My eyes were glowing as I imagined the wonderful food they'd have at that Inn, including the beds that were probably as soft and fluffy as clouds…

"We'd love to!" I piped up. Zuko glared at me, as if to tell me to keep quiet. I ignored him, smacking his face and making him drop my on the ground. "_I'll_ be glad to participate, at least." The woman smiled warmly.

"I see! A free room for your group then! That is, if your companions agree with you entering." I turned back to Zuko, crossing my arms and glaring. His amber eyes shifted from the ground to mine; we both stood, staring at each other until he finally sighed in annoyance. Ah, he was beginning to realize my stubborn nature; soon he would give in without a moment's thought!

"Fine." He grumbled. He just couldn't say no when it came to me, could he? Iroh smiled, obviously some twisted thoughts of Zuko and I's relationship came to mind, but I felt better not knowing what he was imagining. I had found the old man had quite a dry sense of humor, and I didn't enjoy when any of it involved me.

"Come along, noble steed, grandpa!" The woman chuckled softly at us, leading us back into her hotel, and up to an extravagant, large room. My eyes sparkled as I looked it over; it was absolutely perfect!

Three beds were placed on one wall, each with bedside tables that were decorated with a vase full of blooming flowers native to the Earth Kingdom. The beds were made of a soft comfortable material, I found myself unable to wait for bed to lay in it. There was only one bathroom, meaning I had to share with those two, but I was too happy at having access to such a lovely place. Kim would've loved it…

But she chose to stay with tree-boy, so it looks like the next time I saw her I'd just have to describe it to her in great detail. The woman seemed pleased at my reaction to all of this, as Iroh and Zuko had responded as nearly as well as I had. Zuko was a prince though; he was probably used to luxury. I was used to having to provide for myself; not having to work for room and board was nice.

Plus these beds were better than the crappy ones at Yura's Inn.

"Now young lady." The woman pulled me outside the room to speak to me privately. "You'll be fighting on my behalf; the cash prize that is to be won will be going to me. I'll have your outfit here; tell me which element you bend." And just like that my cover had been blown again. It's getting really difficult to keep under tabs how many people know that I'm a firebender, I wasn't trying to get Zuko and Iroh captured.

"Uhm, er, fire?" She seemed shocked for a second and eyed me suspiciously. She nodded though, regaining her kind demeanor after a few seconds.

"I see. Well, the first fight is tomorrow evening; your friends will have front row seats to your fight if they wish to come." I hadn't had any intention of telling either of them to come; I didn't want to get my butt kicked and then have Zuko make fun of me for the rest of our journey together. "You must wear your outfit to each fight. These are the only rules." I smirked; the only rules in a battle-extravaganza were to wear an outfit.

"I gotcha!" I was still incredibly pleased with my beautiful surroundings that I wasn't entirely thinking. She excused herself, heading off to get my outfit before I entered the room again. Iroh was smiling cheerfully, as he was making the most of the situation, as Zuko and all his angst decided to not enjoy himself in the middle of the room.

"Will you lighten up?" I asked as I brushed past him to enter the bathroom. Ah, the tub was huge~ I could relax in it for hours on end; having the ability to heat things up meant that the bath water would never get cold. I glanced in the mirror, noting my tired eyes and worn appearance. When was the last time I dragged a brush through my hair?

"This is taking up time we could be after the Avatar." Zuko growled from the doorway, leaning against the frame. His eyes were on me as I continued to explore the room.

"Don't ruin my time here!" I exclaimed. "This is the first time I've ever gotten to spend somewhere that I didn't have to pay for by working. Maybe you've gotten to live in luxury your whole life, but I haven't had anyone to take care of me for once, it's nice to be taken care of after seventeen years!" I collapsed on the bed as I successfully silenced Zuko. He was looking slightly guilty, which made me feel a bit guilty, but I said nothing in apology.

"How long have you been taking care of that young lady?" Iroh asked. It took me a minute to count all the years that I had been taking care of her.

"I've taken care of her since I was ten, so about seven or so years. And there were people before her that relied on me to get them food and shelter. I was always taking care of other people… There were some days I didn't eat, because there wasn't enough food to go around. It's when I learned the lovely rule of sacrifice." I smiled weakly, as those days when I couldn't work were particularly painful to think about. Starvation was not just a horrible, it was complete torture.

"If you were the one who got all the food, why wouldn't you just take some for yourself?" It had never crossed my mind to take food before feeding the children I was looking after. They had all been younger than me, after all. Plus, I'd rather I starve than the children.

"Because sometimes you shouldn't come first. Sometimes other people come before you." I turned away as he sent me a questioning gaze. "They were all younger than me, and I could go for about a week without food until it started to really hurt…" I rubbed my stomach. "Thankfully I got the job at the Inn, Yura provided me with free room and food as long as I worked for her."

Zuko turned away for a minute, taking to staring out of the window instead of looking at me. I could tell he had been shocked about what I'd been through; my attitude wasn't one you associated with a kind, motherly person. Iroh seemed to have gained another sparkle in his eye; I knew he was thinking something… something I wasn't sure of. But it wasn't like the looks he gave us when Zuko and I fought over any little thing.

It was hopeful.

But what could that look mean?


	6. Chapter 6

Iroh stood up and opened the door as the old woman was about to knock. In her hand was a red and orange outfit; my outfit for the arena. She stepped inside and handed it to me, patting the material before speaking again.

"Try it on for me, now, to see if I need a larger size." The woman smiled kindly. She wasn't exactly looking at my stomach when she said this. I blushed a bit; realizing that with the loose fitting stuff I normally wore didn't make my large bust evident, but she had noticed regardless.

I stepped into the bathroom, slipping off my dirty clothes and putting on the outfit for the arena. The top half of the shirt was tight and short; it ended an inch under my bust, the neckline forming a triangle as it stopped right about my cleavage. It felt like I was wearing a small dish towel rather than a shirt. I blushed a bit as I tried to fix it so not so much was revealing, it was a futile effort though. There just wasn't enough cloth to go around.

The second half was a much better fit; the pants had orange cuffs that held the bottom part right at my ankles. They stopped right under my bellybutton, again a bit of a short fit. I looked in the mirror and sighed, using a ribbon that was around my wrist to tie up my hair into a simple ponytail. A few strands fell loose but I didn't bother fixing them; it looked better with a little bit of mess.

I was beyond embarrassed to walk out to model the outfit for the kind older woman; Zuko and Iroh were still out there after all. I hadn't always been comfortable with how I looked; I was like many girls in that aspect that I wasn't very happy with my body. I rubbed the tanned skin of my stomach self consciously. What would Zuko think if he saw me walk out in such a… revealing outfit? Why did it matter what he thought? I admit, he was cute with the shaggy hair, and his scar added to his image, but he was a _jerk_.

A jerkbender.

I sighed, it was time for me to just suck it up and get it over with. I wouldn't be able to hide away in the bathroom the whole time, and I'd have to model this outfit out in front of anyone who came to view the battles.

I stepped out from the bathroom, crossing my arms to cover parts of my stomach. The old woman seemed very pleased with how it looked, circling around me as she observed the way the skirt fit. Zuko and Iroh were gaping at the amount of skin the outfit revealed; a light blush had come across both of their faces. If I hadn't begun to ignore their stares, my face might've turned as red as my hair.

"It's perfect."

"Oh, but I was wondering if you could give me a looser top…"I pulled on the tight top for emphasis however she shook her head.

"No, no! It's perfect the way it is. I'll come by tomorrow when it's time to bring you to the arena. Wear it down into the dining hall so that when the cooks see it, they'll give your group your free meal." The woman clapped happily. "As the only girl in the competition, this'll help you pop! Oh right, in the drawers are some robes for the other two to wear. I'll see you tomorrow, dear." The lady walked away humming something about 'finally winning this year' while I stood dumbfounded in the room. Zuko and Iroh both seemed to be at a loss for words.

After I got over the initial annoyance at having to look like a service girl, that I had so proudly told some pirates a week ago I wasn't, I began to grow bored. The room was lovely, but it wasn't that interesting. All I had to do was watch Iroh flip through a book he'd found in a drawer by his bed and watch Zuko mope. It wasn't terribly interesting.

"I want to explore." I pouted, turning to face the two guys in the room. "Would you like to come, Iroh?" Zuko scowled as I addressed his uncle instead of him; purposely, of course. The older man chuckled, waving a hand dismissively, as I had suspected. I was hoping he'd force Zuko to come along with me; torturing him had become a new hobby. I couldn't come straight out with it and invite him myself; after all, he'd grow suspicious.

"No thank you, but I'm sure Zuko would love to accompany you." Zuko was about to protest but I took the hint Iroh sent me and grabbed onto Zuko's arm. He wanted Zuko to spend some time doing something besides lounging around like a bum; he was just too kind to say it. I wasn't however.

"Oh, Iroh, we'll miss your company. Come on Zuko, don't be such a grump and explore with me." I forcibly pushed him from the room, waving back to Iroh and promising to bring him back some tea before closing the door. Zuko was waiting outside, his arms crossed as he waited for me to decided on where to go. The place was so big, but I'd seen a door that led out to a pond area, where turtle-ducks were. They were the cutest animals, in my opinion anyway, and I hadn't really seen one up close before.

"Where are we going?" Zuko obviously didn't trust me enough to follow me blindly.

"We're going to the pond." He followed me without any more questions. There were people gathering around the hall, some dressed in green outfits, another dressed in a blue one that had the same badge as mine did. They must be other competitors. I eyed them, most of them were buff, but with fire on my side I could easily take any of them down. Especially Mr. Waterbender over there. I smirked as I got odd glances; I was the only firebender around the area it seems.

"You're one of my opponents." I whirled around to face a tall, tanned man, with light blue eyes and dark hair. He was wearing a blue outfit, with an orange badge matching many others in the room. It looks like I may face him as well. I think I sized him up pretty well; overconfident in his ability because he was taller and had larger muscles. He probably psyched out his opponents by intimidation, even though his bending was probably lacking in a few areas.

"Yes, I am. Kaya, firebender, at your service. And you are?"

"Zazu, waterbender." He replied gruffly. It looks like he hadn't dropped the intimidation act yet; I smiled brightly to show his tactics weren't working on me. He seemed slightly taken aback but remained where he was. Zuko seemed bored and uninterested in all of this; he was about to leave me and go back to the room.

"I hope you realize anything your trying to do to intimidate me isn't working." I grinned widely, catching Zazu off guard again. He coughed into his hand as a few other people focused on us.

'I hope that makes him give up and let me be.'

"Not what I wanted to do." He replied, coughing again as a light blush dusted his cheeks. "I wanted to tell you, I like your hair. Good evening." Now that caught me off guard, I was standing dumb founded as Zazu walked off into the crowd. Zuko raised an eyebrow at my flushed face but I brushed it out, forcing him outside to walk by the pond with me. If I had actually liked Zuko this would've been a romantic moment.

The fireflies had just come out, lighting the blue pond water with their lights. They looked as if they were dancing across the pond water; their movements were smooth as they flew through the pond, few daring to dip near the water's surface. A few turtle-ducks were swimming around, attracted to the light of fireflies, as a few of the younger ones spun in circles, attempting to keep up with their little dance.

It was interesting that there were some here, as they preferred the warm weather compared to the chill of the mountains; they must've been imported. I kneeled by the water's surface, reaching out and stroking a ducklings head. It wiggled a bit in the water; I laughed, as these creatures were definitely my favorite of any animal I'd ever seen.

One of the only memories I have of when I was younger was these little creatures, I used to visit a pond every day to feed them. It was really the only thing I remembered about living in the fire nation. I had migrated to the Earth Kingdom awhile ago; I had lived most of my life there, in solitude. I had no one but myself to depend on, but I remember having a teacher that had taught me the basics of firebending. From then on I had practiced more advanced techniques until I'd become a decent; I could use a little work but if I was to come face to face with another bender, I'd be hard to take down.

Zuko had a small smile on as he gazed at the turtle ducks; he bent down beside me and stroked the head of the mother duck. So he did have a gentle side. I couldn't help but glance over at him; after all it was a cute scene. Prince Zuko, soon to be Fire Lord, petting a young turtle-duck. He glanced over at me with a questioning look; I blushed, realizing I had been staring.

"I didn't know you liked them." I tried to break the awkward silence; Zuko seemed to get the hint that he should reply.

"My mother and I used to feed them all the time." My heart sort of dropped; anytime I heard about someone's parents, I became jealous. It wasn't easy not having parents, not having been nurtured your whole life, not knowing what it feels like…

"Your mother, huh? That must've been a cute scene." I couldn't help but become incredibly awkward when I was nervous. "Sounds cute, you and your mom feeding baby turtle-ducks together…"

"You never knew your mother?"

"Nope. Didn't know my father either, don't know if I even have a family." I shrugged my shoulders, attempting to brush of the fresh pain that stung my heart. "It's nothing." Zuko was quiet again; he sent me occasional glances but otherwise the evening was peaceful.

"We should go get food…" Zuko murmured, helping me up from my position.

"Yeah. I promised your Uncle I'd get him some tea, too!" We both hurried off into the dining hall, which had even more people in it now. We should've thought ahead and gotten food earlier, I dreaded the thought of having to wait in a long line. Especially with Zuko for company, although Prince Grumpy had proved to be nice company outside by the pond, he wasn't as abrasive as he was when we first started traveling together.

We were handed three plates, full of roast duck and dumplings, along with the requested Gingseng tea. It looks like the benders that'd be going up against each other in the arena were getting pretty good portions of food; the other guests were served miniscule amounts of duck, and the dumplings had no cheese in them at all. I frowned, spotting a young girl and her mother who looked worse for wear. They were eating their meal, but it was obvious it wasn't enough to fill them. I was about to share half my meal with them when Zuko pushed me along.

"You need it more than them, you'll be fighting tomorrow." He was right in a way, but I sadly looked back, regretfully moving forward. It was strummed a few heartstrings when I saw a family in need, when I saw anyone in need really.

"I think they're just as important as I am." But I continued forward, figuring Iroh was awaiting our return. Zuko's glare flickered for a moment, his gaze softened after his eyes landed on the girl and her mother. We entered the room, handing Iroh over his tea and plate of food before digging in myself. I couldn't brag about being ladylike, that was for sure, food was food and I was starving. I don't think Iroh or Zuko were paying much attention to me anyway.

"I'll be back." Zuko stood up, only half his food gone before he left with his plate. I watched him leave, confused.

"What's his problem?" I muttered, shoving another dumpling in my mouth. Iroh chuckled, pushing away his empty plate and sipping from his cup.

"I begin to see more of my nephew in you with each passing moment." Iroh smiled fondly, cradling the tea cup. "Zuko does many things that even he cannot explain; his mind leads him one way but his heart leads him another. The day that these two work in sync will be the day that he discovers who he is."

'Did that have anything to do with what I asked?' I thought to myself; I had too much respect for Iroh to blurt out something rude. 'Although his words are wise.' Zuko hadn't returned for awhile, I took the opportunity to look for him by taking Iroh and I's plate back to the kitchen.

Now was my chance to try and find Zuko.


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note: Fighting will finally begin next chapter. ;)**

I hadn't caught any sign of him, I sighed as I left the kitchen. I wasn't ready to give in; I could be determined when I wanted to be. I was set on finding him and figuring out what his problem was. He was nowhere in the dining hall, so maybe he went back to the room. I'll just take one last look at the pond and head back to see if he's there, otherwise-

"There he is…" I murmured, peering through the window that overlooked the pond. Zuko was standing there with the mother and the small girl from earlier. They were feeding the turtle-ducks; the duckling from earlier waddled up to Zuko without fear, letting him stroke it's head. I found a smile coming to my face; he'd returned to give his food to the little girl. Why hadn't he just let me give up some of my food? I was used to going without.

"Thank you, young man." The mother grabbed hold of her daughters hand before leaving Zuko by the pond alone. He stared wistfully into the water, not making a move to return to the hotel. I decided to take it upon myself to make the poor boy feel as embarrassed as possible.

"Oh, Zuko, who knew you had such a soft, loving heart." I held my hand over my heart as I walked closer to him; he blushed, glaring at me before turning away.

"Don't speak of this to anyone." I sighed, dropping arms to my side before I stood beside him and stared at our reflections in the water. The night sky was being lit up by the beautiful fireflies, dancing to a silent song as crickets chirped. It was a relaxing scene.

"Don't worry, Zuko, I won't tell anyone of the side of you people would actually like. I'm sure they'd prefer the broody, jerk side that you show." I kneeled down, placing my hand in the water; ripples broke our perfect reflection in the water. "Why didn't you just let me give up my food for them?"

"I told you, you need it more than them, and they need it more than me."

"I didn't know you actually had a kind heart; you do hide it well. No offense."

"Everything you have yet said to me has been offensive, why start saying 'no offense' now?"

"Good point!" I offered him a grin, rubbing my wet hand on my outfit. "But I don't do it purposely; I've just grown up being honest." He shook his head. "But I've wanted to ask you a question since I met you…" I glanced over at the scar that took up nearly the entire right half of his face. "Where did you get that scar?" He froze for a second, his eyes averting from my gaze.

"…my father." He finally muttered out. "It's the reason I'm hunting the Avatar; to regain my honor that I lost the day my father gave me this scar." Talk about being angsty, Zuko suddenly got quiet and his eyes squinted; he looked as if he were in pain.

"Does it still hurt?" I hadn't noticed that I'd raised my hand to touch the scar until Zuko stiffened under my touch. His eyes wouldn't meet mine, but he didn't pull away from my touch. Rumors had passed, even if I hadn't understood completely, his shame was known to many. "You're only hunting the Avatar to regain your honor… So does that mean, if you still had your honor, you wouldn't be hunting him down?" Zuko didn't have an answer for me, after a few silent moments I gave up and began to walk into the house.

"What would you have done if you lost your honor and you were shamed in front of your family?" He asked, still facing away from me. It took me a second to think; I wasn't really one to care about honor or family heritage. If I loved myself the way I was, then why should I care about what others believed? My whole life I've lived voicing my opinion, but then again, I was a lowly peasant, not a prince like Zuko. Not anyone who mattered, who had a huge title to accept soon.

"I can't really speak for you, 'cause we're pretty different, Zuko. I think I would want to regain my honor, but I wouldn't do it be condemning another human being. I'd find another way to redeem myself." I stopped a bit my lip; why had I just recited what I knew what he wanted to hear. "But what I would really do is not care. If I had at least one person in the world who believed in me, I don't think it'd matter. I'd be upset, of course, but I wouldn't hurt someone else ever. That part was true. I believe the Avatar is the only one who can stop your father's reign, he's the only hope we have…"

"Why… do you travel with me, when you know I want to capture the Avatar?"

"Because I'm a fool." I sighed, placing my hand on the handle to the door. "I really believe that you can do the right thing Zuko. You can't do what others want you to do; you need to do what you want. And if that's capture the Avatar, I suppose I'll help. I'll always hope for a change of heart though…" I whispered the last part, but I had reason to believe he heard it.

I turned back to look at him; he was facing me this time, a different look in his eyes than what I've seen before. I couldn't read it though; I was already confused as it was. I had actually lied at first before telling him how I really felt. Why did he have such a weird hold on me? I should've told him right then and there that I didn't support his cause of capturing the Avatar, but I couldn't bring myself to do it due to one thought.

_I don't want him to hate me. _

"From what I've seen though, no matter how corny it sounds, I think that… whatever your heart says it what you should do."

I headed back to the room without him; he was too caught up in his thoughts afterwards to notice I had left. I hope he'd return for some sleep soon, though, he needed it just as much as I did. I was the one fighting tomorrow evening and it seemed like I was more relaxed than he was! Zuko was so hard to read at times; he really frustrated me.

Iroh sent me a questioning look when I entered the room alone; I shrugged my shoulders as I fell back onto my bed.

"He's out there thinking." I frowned up at the ceiling. "Has this always been the reason he's been hunting the Avatar? To regain the honor he lost?"

"Yes." Iroh replied, his eyes scanning me before he spoke again. "My brother was harsh on him; he had spoken his mind and had been punished for it. He knows the difference between right and wrong; he's forced to follow the wrong things." 

"No offense but your brother's a big jerk. How are you and him even related?" Iroh chuckled. 

"I was always the kinder between the two of us; I had no desire to take the title of Fire Lord from his hands. I, however, learned many things from experience in my life. I have a request of you." I raised an eyebrow. A request of me? He seemed pretty capable of doing many things, why would he need little ol' me?

"What can I do for you?" I owed him a great deal, he's attempted to keep my anger in check, along with Zuko's, and he may be the only reason I haven't become a roast duck myself.

"You're the only one who can break Zuko from the shell he's formed around himself. I believe you are the only person who can make him 'feel' something other than anger. Around you he feels more carefree; your attitude is much like his when he was younger, a bit feistier, but still alike. He sees his younger self in you, and that's why he's taken a liking to your personality. You challenge him. And that's why I want you to challenge yourself; can you make him smile?"

Of course! I thought with a grin. I could make anyone smile; it was only a matter of time before I did the same for Zuko. I mean, I couldn't help the fact my antics could cause many people to smile, some may think I'm full of myself, but as I've stated before, I couldn't care less. I did what I wanted; I said what I thought.

"I take on your challenge, Uncle!" He smiled as he lay back in his bed. "I will go against all odds and make the former Prince Zuko smile! Even if it kills him!" I had grown fond of the older man; he was something like I had imagined my father to be. Kind and wise. I wondered if Zuko realized how lucky he was that he had someone like Iroh; I doubted he did at this point in time; he was too busy being an angsty teenager. Everyone was the way they were for a reason though.

I sighed, glancing at Zuko's empty bed. I hope he comes back soon, who knows what kind of trouble he could get into out there, alone. I snuggled into the soft bed, content with my surroundings for the night. I fell asleep quickly.

I still didn't understand why I had gone alone with this plot to keep the Avatar safe secretly, however I didn't bother lingering on it too long. Everything happens for a reason…

Right?


	8. Chapter 8

I awoke the next morning to a bright ray of sunshine in my face; the older woman had taken it upon herself to enter the room uninvited to wake us up. Zuko groaned, using his blanket to cover his face, as if it would really work. Iroh already seemed to be up, and he was now good naturedly flirting with the older woman.

I groaned, stretching my legs and arms before leaving bed. I was a morning person, thankfully, but I needed a shower before I could do anything. The lady followed me into the bathroom, which I found awkward.

"I'm only here to take your outfit and clean it. I also brought you something casual to wear while you're waiting for your outfit to come back." I nodded, slipping into the shower and taking off my clothes in there. I didn't normally act as embarrassed, as I had once taken my shirt off in public at Yura's Inn after spilling some tea on it, but I felt embarrassed being naked in front of another woman.

I heard her leave the room; that was my cue to start the water and enjoy my alone time for the moment. I rubbed my scalp, turning the hot water up completely and hardly turning the cold water knob. I didn't enjoy cold water, nor water in general, but I'd rather not stay dirty forever.

The hot, scalding water beating against my skin was relaxing to me; heat was always relaxing to me. That's why I hated the cold of the mountains here; I preferred the warmth of the Fire Nation's atmosphere compared to any weather. Being able to take the heat was another plus that came along with a firebender.

"Hurry up! Other people need to use the bathroom." Zuko knocked on the door impatiently; I thought about sitting down and playing a card game all alone for awhile, but decided against it.

"Hold your horses, beauty takes patience!" I shouted back, using the towel to dry my hair. A little bit of heat and soon it was completely dry; same with the rest of me. I tossed the towel onto the counter before slipping on the robe. It was much more comfortable than my arena outfit; it was soft and comfortable, and not revealing in the least. It was a simple black shirt and gray pants, nothing flashy, except for the orange badge marking me as a participant in the most exciting thing going on in my life right now.

I opened the door to the bathroom, Zuko's hand was raised as if he was about to knock again. Looks like I beat him to it. I flicked his forehead so that he moved out of my way; he quickly ran into the bathroom and slammed the door closed as soon as I was out of his way. I laughed again, noting that Iroh was nowhere to be seen. Where had he gone? I glanced around and decided I'd rather wait for him before plopping back down on my bed.

What time had Zuko come back last night? He sure seemed grumpy this morning; however I hadn't really been around him when he first woke up. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed; asking him wouldn't get anywhere, it'd just make me seem like I actually cared if he got sleep or not. I didn't, right? Of course not! He was just a travelling companion; I couldn't even really call him a friend, could I? I really needed to stop second guessing myself; I hadn't done this before.

"If I can't go back to sleep, neither can you." Zuko grumbled as he exited the bathroom; he lazily walked over to his bed and plopped down on it, closing his eyes.

"Get up, jerk! I wasn't sleeping!" I grabbed my pillow and tossed it on his face; he sputtered at the contact and leaped up in surprise, a thin line of flames shooting out from his fist, barely missing my face. "Good going, and you tell me I have no control!" Zuko threw the pillow back at me; he put a bit of strength behind it for someone who was so tired.

"There will never be peace with you around, will there?"

"No, my darling Zuko, it's your punishment." I stood up, stretching again. "You're coming to watch me fight, right?"

"Maybe." He grumbled, lying back on the bed. I wasn't sure why but my heart dropped a little; I thought he'd at least come to see me fight. W-Well why did I care anyway?

"Whatever jerk. For a firebender you can sure be frosty little boy." He sat up and glared at me.

"Will you shut up? You call it honesty and I call it annoying. I don't care, just leave." A frown came upon my face without me knowing it; I was glaring at the back of his head as the feeling of rejection came up. What a big jerk, I try and be nice to him for once and he's going to act like a big baby?

"You know what; don't take your anger out on me because you can't be honest with yourself." Ah, the sweet feeling of anger bubbling up in the pit of stomach, how I missed you so. I clenched my fist in an attempt to prevent myself from punching him in the back of the head. "You're ridiculous." I knew I'd only lose the battle here if I remained, so I did the mature thing; I left, and made sure to slam the door hard. I'll let the prissy prince sleep in silence if that's what he wanted.

"Ah, trouble?" I met Iroh's smiling face, tea in hand. "Zuko says many things he doesn't mean-"

"Well I'm sick of it. He shouldn't take his anger out on someone who's just trying to help him realize what a pompous idiot he's acting like!" Fire flared from my fists as I clenched them again; Iroh held his hands up defensively.

"Save the anger for tonight, you have some fighting to do." I took a deep breath, calming my nerves before unclenching my fists.

"I suppose so. You'll at least come and watch me, won't you?" Iroh nodded.

"Of course." I smiled, clapping my hands to show I was pleased. At least one person in this group took interest in me.

"Good! I don't need that jerk if I have you supporting me, anyway! I'm going to get breakfast, I don't know if I'll come back anytime soon." Iroh nodded knowingly; I hoped he'd give his nephew a good talking to. He entered the room as I left to run down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. The Inn's cooking was quality; I think I can still cook a better meal, but this was like a vacation for me. Until later that is…

I was sitting at a table alone, near the window that I could view the turtle-duck pond from, when someone took a seat across from me. Zazu placed his plate down before sitting; I eyed him suspiciously before continuing to eat. He wasn't bothering me, so I wouldn't shoo him away for now. Plus, with another person here it wasn't so painful. And I didn't look like a lonely fool.

"Good luck today." Zazu's deep voice broke me from my thoughts; now that I got a closer look at him he seemed like a friendly giant. Was my first assumption of him wrong? I smiled and nodded back at him, showing that I wished him the same. I wouldn't need luck though; I knew I was an amazing fighter. I could at least make it past the first two rounds.

"You are very quiet today…"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry." I prodded at my food. "I'm a bit distracted."

"Do not get too distracted… Pay attention in fight today." I smiled at him; something about this guy was comforting. I decided that I really had summed him up wrong; he was a really friendly guy whose looks made him look intimidating.

"Thank you, Zazu." I was beginning to feel a bit awkward at his constant staring; I had finished what I was eating, so I stood up, ready to dispose of it. That girl and her mother were sitting at the same table they were yesterday, a small amount of food piled up on it.

"Excuse me…" I stepped up to them, placing my plate between the two of them. Her mother looked up at me curiously. "I don't want to eat all of this, and you guys look like you could eat some more. So here. Enjoy!" I walked away before the woman could say anything to me about my kind deed; sometimes it was an insult to give food to people who had pride, but they really had looked as if they needed some food.

I sat by the lake, not minding the dirt and grass that would surely stick to my butt after I got back up. It was nice to relax a bit so that I could watch the ducks. I closed my eyes, inhaling as a breeze blew by. It smelled like flowers and freshly baked bread; some of my favorite smells. It was so relaxing; I was waiting for someone to ruin it for me-

"Kaya." Of course it'd be the jerkbender. I didn't bother opening my eyes or turning towards him; I was still annoyed with the attitude I got earlier. The best he could do was apologize and hope I'd forgive him; with the way I've been acting lately, I wasn't even sure if I would or not. I was unpredictable even to myself.

"What do you want?" I sounded more annoyed than I was; I couldn't really blame him for disliking my attitude but still. "I'm sure anything that needed to be said was said earlier."

"Look I…" I was in his face in a second, an angry expression on my face.

"If you're going to say 'sorry', don't bother. Maybe I don't act like it, but I have feelings too. Maybe I don't show when things affect me that much, but that doesn't mean they don't. Maybe I don't think before I say something, but at least I know who I am." I brushed past him, no longer wanting to be in his presence. I had a fight to psyche up for.

The older woman, whose name I still didn't know, fetched me before Zuko and Iroh came back from their exploration of town. I wished Iroh could've been here to offer me some cryptic words of advice, and Zuko could've given me a fresh feeling of rage. They were both absent, and I was forced to head down to a underground arena with the woman.

"Here we are…" She led me into a room where other contenders were waiting for their turn; the battles had already begun. I could faintly hear battle cries over the commotion in the room; people were making bets, gambling, and otherwise being barbarians. The woman led me over to a large poster, pointing up to a section labeled 'Firebenders'. It looked like there were only three others besides me, and two had already been knocked out of the competition.

"You're up against Rolf, he's an Earthbender." She tapped the man's picture; he was dark, with a rugged appearance and dark eyes. I would be glad to knock some sense into him. My eyes scanned the page for Zazu, he had a match against an 'unlabeled'? She saw my questioning glance at the section and answered my question.

"Unlabeled are non-benders. If you come up against them, we're forced to put bangles on your arms to stop your chi flow, so that the fight is evened out a bit." She patted my shoulder. "You're good at hand to hand combat, aren't you?" Of course I was, living on the streets wasn't exactly safe. And with firebending, everything you did was based on attacks, it was a very defensive kind of bending. In fact it was incredibly aggressive… Maybe that's where I get it from.

My match was next, and of course I felt the excitement build up in my stomach. I could hear the roaring of the crowd from where I stood at the entrance to the arena; there were a lot of people there tonight. I hope Zuko and Iroh were part of that group… I sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms. I needed to decided what I was going to do against an Earthbender; I'd have to use my ears. After watching Kim after all these years, I had seen enough moves that could possibly destroy me in a single blow; I had also learned how to avoid them.

"Now ladies and gentleman, give a lovely round of applause for the Earthbender, Rolf!" The man, who had been waiting at the entrance with me, smirked over at me before walking out into the open. That made me even more keen on roasting him.

"Another round of applause for our loveliest Firbender, Kaya!" I could feel a blush rise on my cheeks; lovely didn't make me sound intimidating at all. I inhaled sharply, ready to be judged by many people as I stepped out into the arena.

It was larger than I had thought it was; there were rows among rows of thousands of people seated and ready to watch a fight, they were protected by a pale field of light it seems. I scanned the crowd for Iroh and Zuko, almost losing hope until I noticed a box of seats dedicated to the fighters friends and family. And there they were, sitting in the front row and looking down at me; Iroh with an encouraging grin and Zuko with a scowl. A smile came to my face before I could stop it; I wanted to make them proud.

I stepped forward and stood opposite of Rolf; he had a big smile on his face and was waving to his fans. I rolled my eyes; this guy was a riot. I hope he actually had some skill. The announcer standing between us quieted the crowd down before he glanced at the two of us, raising his hand and the battle commenced.

"You're going to lose." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders; I could use the overconfidence factor to my best ability. Rolf sent me a skeptical look.

"How do you know…?" He actually looked confused, as if anything I said had solid meaning to it. I gaped openly at his stupidity, before smirking. This was an act; he was waiting to leap into action.

"Because I'm the future." My fist shot forward, hot flames bursting forth; as I suspected he dived to the side. He was prepared; he must've had a false sense of security. He looks too smug for his own good right now; he think he knows every move I'll make, does he? Well I guess it's time to show him who he's messing with.

I used the rock he suddenly threw at me for leverage; I spun in the air flames shot from my foot. It miss him by an inch, however he was on guard now. He raised his hand a loud rumbling alerted me to the rocks moving under my feet. I lurched forward, my fist making direct contact with his face; he went flying in the opposite direction, and I took the opportunity to send another flame at him. He couldn't dodge because his footing had been thrown off; the flames burnt the flesh on his hands, leaving an oozing burn mark.

He winced, shaking his hand in pain before glaring at me. He had sized me up again, and this time came at me with more energy to his step. Large rocks shot up left and right, I hardly had any time to avoid them, but I managed to slip between them. I couldn't keep still longer than a second or else he'd have me; I forced my body to continue to move, evening my breath so that I could last longer. All I had to do was get a direct shot at him and he'd be down, but I could get a good hit without getting hurt myself.

I lurched forward, flames shooting the area directly in front of me as paused in front of him; however before he got hit he caused a jagged rock to shoot up. Before I could think of moving it struck me, cutting the right side of my leg. It hadn't cut too deep, but I couldn't easily move anymore. Putting pressure on my leg would make it ache horribly; I'd have to deal with it if I wanted to win. I did want to win, so badly.

I jumped as a boulder flew my way; I landed on my bad leg and winced. The pain was distracting… I pushed both my fists together, opening them and blowing; a large ray of fire shot forth and splayed the arena where he was, before I had completely fallen to the ground. Oh the shame… I willed myself to stand up again. I had to finish this now, before he got my other leg and I was crawling around the arena.

I mustered up all my strength and the willpower to win; the flames that shot from my fist were the brightest and deadliest I'd ever seen them. Rolf stood dumbfounded in front of me, his hands uselessly hanging by his sides as he twitched. The fire had burned every hair off his head it seemed; it was that nice haircut I wanted to offer Jet earlier. Rolf was the unfortunate one to receive it, though. I should really try it on Jet though…

"My hair!" Rolf cried out, his hands gripping at his now burnt head. He fell to the ground; the crowd booed him loudly. I think that meant he had given up, the way he was sobbing over his hair like that. The announcer came into view again, raising Rolf's hand before announcing his loss.

"Winner, Firebender Kaya!" I grinned, pumping my fist into the air and letting loose a few harmless flames. The crowd went wild; cheering and clapping, this was all incredibly fantastic for my ego. Man, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?

The pain in my leg was beginning to get unbearable; if I didn't get it bandaged up it would need to be amputated or something horrible like that. A medic helped me exit the arena at a door on the other side, the crowd was still roaring as I left. I hoped I'd made a good impression.

I was pushed over to a station where my leg was bandaged up; the older woman was gushing in amazement at the fight. Apparently the other two firebenders before me that had been knocked out were amateurs; figures.

"Kaya." Zuko approached me warily, but any anger I had felt towards him earlier had disappeared in my moment of pride. I had one my first match, as I had thought I would, but the crowd liked me. They really liked me. I grinned at him, catching him by surprise. Iroh patted my shoulder, stating he hadn't expected anything less and spouting out some proverb I didn't understand or bother to listen to.

"Well, it looks like you decided to come, eh, Zuko?" He nodded, shrugging his shoulders and looking away. "I'm just so amazing, I know. You can't get enough of me." For a second I swear a smile appeared on his face as he glanced back at me, but as soon as Iroh had turned to face him, it was back to his normal poker face. I had done it though; I had gotten a smile out of Prince Grumpy, whether it lasted merely a second or not.

And maybe if he started smiling more, other things would start changing too. Maybe he could find out who he was if he smiled more, if he listened to what his heart wanted instead of what he thought he wanted.

I could only hope.


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm fine, Zuko, really… I could walk." We were walking from the arena now, since all the battles had finished and it was time to sleep. After my leg had gotten bandaged Zuko hadn't let it touch the ground, meaning I was now being carried back, rather reluctantly. I knew I was blushing; it was embarrassing being carried without asking. Plus I was supposed to look tough in front of everyone, not like a damsel in distress. Zuko insisted that I had to stay off of it, and Iroh agreed.

_Traitor_.

I don't know exactly what was happening between Zuko and I anymore, I think we were both slowly starting to get used to the way the other acted. I think we might actually be growing to be friends; we were both brutally honest with each other, after all. Although the tempers could use some work.

"We're at the room now, Zuko, I know I'm amazing and should be treated as such but I can at least walk over to my bed!" Zuko flushed a bit, I guess he hadn't realized how far he had actually carried me. He let me down gently; Iroh was watching me carefully. I guess the wound was serious; it didn't hurt that bad. Iroh offered to fetch some tea in celebration of my win and left before either of us could say anything.

"Uncle is weird sometimes." Zuko watched me walk over and flop onto my bed; all grace I had earlier in front of people had gone now as fatigue set in. Firebending was no easy task; at first the exhilaration keeps you going, but once the battles done with, the fatigue can hit hard. I groaned as my leg throbbed painfully; well it didn't hurt that badly earlier!

"Stupid Earthbenders." I rubbed my leg, wincing when my hand made contact. They hadn't even closed the wound, there was still blood leaking onto the bandages. People could do nothing right. I unwrapped the bandages, much to Zuko's chagrin. "Oh shut up and burn it closed for me, will you?" He gave me an annoyed look, I was abusing him a lot lately, but listened. His hand hovered over the wound as he burned it shut; I winced at the familiar pain, but did my best to close my eyes and relax.

"If you got this injured during your first battle, you're going to be in ribbons by the finals." I sly smile made its way to my face as Zuko helped me re-wrap my leg.

"So you think I'll make it to the finals, eh, Zuko?" He twitched and turned red; he returned to his bed immediately and promptly ignored my question. "Aw, Zuko, I didn't know you had such faith in my skills. I knew you'd come today, you wouldn't miss an opportunity to see me in action!" He let out a sigh.

"Your overconfidence is going to get you killed." I shook my head.

"Don't mistake overconfidence for loving one's self far too much!" He didn't reply again, which annoyed me. We had a nice little conversation going on and he just stops it? How rude. I turned over ready to scold him when I noticed he'd fallen asleep. I smiled; he looked a lot more peaceful when he slept. The normal frown that was on his face had been replaced with a look of relief. He probably didn't have to worry about his 'honor' in his dreams, where he reigned King.

I kind of felt sorry for him, I was being a bit hard on him. It's obvious his life hasn't been easy; the scar was enough proof of that. But he had an extreme responsibility to inherit; he would need the love and trust of his people. He couldn't do that with shame hanging over his head. Maybe that's what Iroh wanted; he wanted me to help Zuko regain his honor in a different way, other than forsaking the Avatar.

How was I supposed to do that?

I sighed in frustration; Zuko was going to be a real challenge.

Iroh walked in with two cups of tea, handing one to me before sitting on his bed.

"When did he fall asleep?" He asked as he sipped at his tea.

"A few minutes ago." I replied, this tea was pretty good. It was soothing, too. "You knew he'd fall asleep before you got back?"

"We've had a long day." Iroh smiled. "You know he spent the whole day fretting over whether or not you'd forgive him." Good! He should be afraid that I'd hate him forever. I placed the tea on the bedside table and crossed my arms, putting up an annoyed front.

"He should… What time did he get back in last night?" 

"Late, Zuko can get too caught up in his thoughts. You must excuse his abrasive behavior." I shook my head, showing it didn't bother me much. "I told him to get some sleep earlier but he insisted he come to your fight…" My heart fluttered a bit, my cheeks turning pink as I quickly lay on my bed and turned over so that Iroh couldn't see my face. So he did want to come, he had just decided to annoy me for the heck of it earlier? Now I felt bad for saying those things…

I'll apologize in the morning, and he better feel damn lucky, because I hardly apologize for anything. He was still a big jerk, but I was beginning to understand _why._ I've always had a good grip on my emotions, well except when anger decided to fly off the handle, but I always knew why I'd get angry, or why I was happy. But when I looked at him, I could tell he never knew what he should feel. I don't think he ever feels happy.

"Goodnight Iroh…" I muttered before closing my eyes. He whispered a goodnight back, before smiling fondly.

"Ah, to be young and falling in love; I wish I could relive those memories again."

"Ugh." I was not used to being woken up to bright sunlight in my face; those curtains needed to stay closed and let me sleep. Iroh was always up before us, he had the decency to let me sleep! But not this woman, my 'coach' as she now wanted me to call her. The battles happened every three days, which I thought was good pacing, it'd give my leg enough time to heal. It also gave the Avatar enough time to vamoose before Zuko caught up to him.

Zuko was still sleeping, I sort of preferred him that way, it was nice to see him relaxed for once. Plus I didn't have to hear that annoying voice of his. Well maybe it wasn't that bad now, it was comforting, especially when- Stop it head! No! There is nothing good about Prince Zuko. Once the Avatar defeats the Fire Lord, and everything goes back to normal, I'll be going to fetch Kim and going back to my life at Yura's Inn.

'You'd miss him.' A voice in my head whispered. I wasn't in the mood to argue with myself, but I was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole journey. How stupid was I? I should've just continued my boring life at Yura's, working every day, sleeping, and eventually getting married to another peasant and living a miserable life with children. I already had my boring future planned out and then he just had to come along and ruin it!

My life was full of excitement; I never knew what was going to happen next. Along with my brain having to work 24/7, my body and fighting skills were beginning to sharpen and improve. This was the life I had dreamed of living, so why didn't I like it? Suddenly I'm second-guessing myself, I was frustrating myself beyond belief and there was nothing I could do to sort out my cluttered mind. If this kept up I couldn't help myself, let alone the Avatar.

I finally pushed myself out of bed. Iroh, as usual, was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the woman. I shivered, pretending I didn't just have the horrible thought and went to bother Zuko. I sat in the bed beside him, over the covers, and nudged him with my elbow.

"Get up, jerk!" He grumbled unhappily, at first ignoring me. He must've known by now that it wouldn't work.

"Why're you in my bed…?" He finally mumbled out, using his hand to cover his eyes from the bright sunlight.

"Revel in it, because it'll be the only time any girl will be in your bed." I kicked his back, forcing him to roll of the edge and land with a loud thump. Unfortunately he took the blankets with him, and me with the amazing balance I had fell off soon after. My thump was softer, however, accounting for the fact I had landed on a certain firebending prince.

"Get off!" Zuko growled out. "You're heavy." I gasped, insulted, and crossed my arms before making myself comfortable.

"How dare you! I am in perfectly good shape; it's these melons on my chest that are heavy!" He grumbled out something else that I couldn't quite hear; it was probably a death threat. I stood up, pulling the blankets with me and leaving Zuko face planted on the floor. He didn't move for a few seconds and I began to panic; what if I killed him! 

His tired groan and movements alerted me to the fact he was still alive; darn, I was getting used to the idea of him being dead. He sat up and opened his eyes, glaring at me before brushing himself off in a dignified manner.

"You fell asleep in the middle of my lovely conversation; has no one taught you manners!" Zuko ruffled his hair sleepily.

"Sure." He replied; he must still be half asleep. Iroh chose to enter at that time, the woman on his arm. Zuko and I shared a horrified look. 

"Let's just pretend we never saw that." I muttered; Zuko nodded in agreement. Well, old people needed love to right? Even if it did creep me out. "So creepy."

"We're going to spend a day on the town, my treat!" Iroh grinned as he waved money in the air. What did he do to get the money? Oh dear God… I needed some bleach for my eyes now, no Kaya, just stop thinking of it. Breathe deeply; they could've just made some cookies together… over some simmering tea, nothing 'R' rated that could possibly destroy my brain.

Zuko seemed just as horrified at his Uncle; his thoughts probably along the same line mine were going down. Once the initial shock of Iroh being a prostitute of sorts wore off, I prepared for a day outside. I always enjoyed being outside, but I couldn't really walk in a straight line until now, thanks to my leg. Zuko was still iffy on whether or not I should go, but I promised if it started to hurt I'd tell them and we could return. Of course I wasn't going to, a little white lie never hurt, right?

"Change into regular clothes." Zuko scowled as he looked at my arena outfit.

"Are you jealous of other people seeing my gorgeous, toned body?" I grinned mischievously as a dark blush formed on Zuko's face, before his eyes narrowed.

"No, I just don't want people coming up to us and propositioning you for a night. It's a sickening thought to know what they'd want to do to you…" My look of amusement was replaced with one of surprise; it had almost sounded like he was jealous.

"Whatever you say." I began to take off my shirt when Zuko's cry to 'stop' made me glance at him. Oh right, they were still in the room. "You know sometimes I think you like men Zuko." I stood up and shifted over to the dresser, picking out clothes before entering the bathroom. I thought it was cute that he got so embarrassed when I almost took my shirt off in front of him, although I wondered if it was only because Iroh was in the room.

I walked out in the simple silver dress I'd gotten from the dresser; it was just the right fit, too! I modeled in the mirror, smiling in appreciation as my figure decided it was actually going to compliment what I wore today. Now if only my hair could do the same. I decided against doing anything to it, simply because I didn't care and I was lazy. So it remained down, wild and untamed.

"Let's go!" Both of them had gotten ready while I took my sweet time in the bathroom; Zuko couldn't fathom exactly why I took so long to get ready. He just didn't understand that a woman needs time to fix her outfit so it makes her look flattering; I could find a man out in town today, you never knew! Although I was only seventeen, men weren't exactly my priority at the moment.

The town was huge and filled with such wonderful sights and smells; it didn't take long for me to get lost and separated from Zuko and Iroh. At least I knew my way back to the Inn. I wanted to explore a bit more. As I was walking along I saw a crowd gathering around a man, who had three monkey's… No, that one in the middle looked different. Its ears were much too big…

It darted up suddenly, jumping on a rooftop and causing the man who was using the flute to cry out in surprise. That poor little thing would get hurt in a big city like this! I opted to push through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed looks people shot me as I pushed through them. Oh well, shouldn't be in my way when I was obviously trying to get through, just move and shut up.

The lemur looking creature continued to hope from rooftop to rooftop; I tried to keep a close eye on it, until I found a cabbage stand that was in my way. I grabbed onto it, feeling the weak stand crumble under my feet as I jumped and grabbed onto the edge of a roof, pulling myself up as I ignored the cabbage man's cries of anguish. How pathetic, they were only cabbages…

The lemur jumped down into an alley. It had caused quite the commotion, and a man with a net had slowly cornered it. I gasped, realizing they would probably put the poor thing down or keep it in captivity. I snapped my fingers and a swirl of fire shot forward and held off the animal catcher; I took the opportunity to jump down and snatch up the cute little lemur creature before hiding in a small nook in the alley.

After the flames dispersed, the animal catcher let out a cry of dismay as the alleyway appeared empty. As he gave up and walked away, I let out a sigh of relief and stepped out into the open. I took a good look at the little guy I had just saved; he had the biggest green eyes I'd ever seen. It made an odd purring noise, reminiscent of a cat, before it climbed on my shoulders and stood on my head, as if looked for someone.

What a cutely odd little creature. I don't think it's native to the Earth Kingdom; I hadn't seen anything like it before now. I grabbed it, taking it from my head and holding it in front of me as I observed it. I don't think Zuko would ever let me keep it; plus, he probably belonged to someone else and he got lost.

"Where did you come from, little fella?" It only blinked up at me owlishly. Had I really expected it to answer me?

"Momo! Momo where are you?" I heard voices echo down the alley I was in. The creature reacted to the voices, perking its ears and standing atop my head again.

"Are they your owners?" I asked, before realizing again it wouldn't reply. The way it was reacting it seemed so; I quickly made my way down the alley to find the source of the voice. I saw a small boy with an odd purple mark on the back of his head, looking the opposite way I was coming from. "Hey, is he yours?" I tapped his shoulder and he turned around.

It took everything in my power to not gape openly. I… I can't believe it.

_I had run right into the avatar._


	10. Chapter 10

I remained in a stunned silence for a second; if they were in the same city Zuko would find him in no time. What was I going to do? Momo jumped from my head and landed on the Avatar's shoulder, who laughed as he was reunited with his partner.

"Hey thanks lady! I'm Aang!" I shook my head, snapping out of my thoughts before smiling at the young boy. He can't be older than 12, is he really the Avatar? The arrow on his head… It makes it more than obvious who he is, the last Airbender after the Fire Nation had wiped them all out. He looked at me, confusion written all over his face. He waved his hand in an attempt to get my attention. "Hey lady, are you alright?"

"Aang!" Another voice cut in. A girl with dark skin ran over, grabbing onto the boys arm and looking at him worriedly. "Are you alright? You shouldn't have run off like that!"

"It's okay Katara, this girl rescued Momo!" He pointed to me and gave her a goofy grin; her hardened look softened and she smiled at me.

"Thank you for helping my friend." 

"O-Oh anytime." How was I supposed to get out of this one? I couldn't tell Zuko! I didn't know how well I could lie to him though. I just had to get them out of here so that I wouldn't be forced to attack them; I didn't really want to betray Zuko's trust. "You guys need to leave." Katara regarded me suspiciously now.

"Why?" Aang asked innocently. "We needed somewhere to rest-"

"Look, I'm sorry but I don't have any time to talk. The point is Zuko is here, and he'll manage to sniff you out no matter how large this city is."

"He must've followed us here!" Katara looked frustrated. "I told you we shouldn't have used Appa, Aang." The boy blushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"S-Sorry Katara. Where's Sokka?" Katara shook her head.

"I don't know, we got separated in the crowd. I hope he's smart enough to avoid Zuko though." She looked concerned but I didn't have time to worry about that, because guess who decided to come along the alley next.

"Kaya, where are you!" Zuko's voiced loudly echoed down the alley, causing me to panic. Oh, there was going to be a big scene if he saw Aang and Katara, I knew it. I pushed both of them back down the alley, into the tiny nook I had hidden in with Momo.

"Stay, and be quiet!" I held a finger over my lip for emphasis before re-emerging from the alley and nearly running into Zuko. He grabbed firmly onto my shoulders.

"Where did you go? Are you okay?" Aw, he was concerned for me? How oddly sweet and out of character for him. I pulled away from his touch shyly, realizing we had an audience even though he didn't know. He gave me a confused look; I had to think of something to feed him.

"I was just walking and thinking; you know how I get! I didn't notice where I was going until I got here." He raised an eyebrow; he didn't believe me. Oh no.

"I saw your flames in the sky, did something happen?" He saw my flames, in particular? How? They were like any other firebenders.

"There are other firebenders in this city, you know…"

"Yours are brighter than any 'normal' firebenders." Zuko growled. "Now tell me what happened."

"Excuse you; I'm pretty sure you're not ordering _me _around, jerk!" I prodded his chest with my finger. "For one, nothing happened. I got surprised by a merchant and accidentally set off some flames. Now can we just go find your Uncle and head back to the Inn?" I had really wanted to stay out for a while longer, but it seemed it was no longer safe to.

"Is your leg okay?" I blushed. Why did he have to be the most embarrassing when there were others around? I crossed my arms and huffed.

"I'm fine, I just want to go." I crossed my arms and glared at him; we stood glaring at each other until Zuko gave in.

"Let's go, Uncle is waiting for us." He grabbed onto my wrist; I glanced back and gave Katara and Aang a weak smile before letting myself be dragged along. I had certainly worked quickly for someone who had just been put under such pressure. I amazed myself sometimes. I let out a loud sigh of relief, earning a look from Zuko that I briefly ignored.

"You're acting weird." Zuko stopped and pulled me from the traffic of people, we were now standing in front of a shop. "There's something you're not telling me."

"I'll be damned if you'll be calling me a liar, buddy!" I crossed my arms and put on a glare; hopefully that'd hide the fact I was sweating profusely under his intense gaze. He knew I was lying, but couldn't he tell I didn't want to be pushed? Please, Zuko, just have some common sense and let it go. I'm on the losing side either way; I'll already feel guilty enough since I've lied to him, I don't want to get Aang revealed, too.

His gaze faltered at the annoyed look in my eye; was he actually going to back off?

"I was trying to find you because I knew the Avatar had been spotted around town." So he already_ knew_? Lying had been of no use then! I pushed him out of the way, storming back off to the hotel and leaving him more confused than he had already been. Avatar this, Avatar that. His life was being taken over by his obsession and it needed to stop. He needed an intervention or something.

And I needed to stop lying.

I stormed into the room, slamming it shut loudly. I jumped as I met Iroh's smile.

"Another fight?" He asked cheerfully; it looks like he just knew it all, didn't he? I scowled and didn't answer, instead sitting on the corner of my bed and facing away from Iroh. I was so frustrated; I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I hadn't expected it to bother me this much to betray his trust. I mean, it never felt good to lie; it was in my nature to be honest, but still. He had helped me in many ways; he made my life exciting again. I did owe him a bit.

"Is it bad that I don't support anything your nephew does at the moment?" My face turned downcast as I suddenly found my knees to be more interesting.

"Zuko doesn't always do the right thing; that's why you're here. You very good at keeping him in line, it seems he's beginning to have doubts about capturing the Avatar himself."

"Did he tell you that Aang was spotted in town?" Iroh chuckled.

"I see that you've met him, then." I flushed, realizing if I slipped up like that around Zuko I would literally be toast. Oh what was I going to do? It wasn't like me to be worried like this, but a certain thought remained in the back of my head and haunted me. He'll hate me completely if I reveal I knew who the Avatar was, and that he could've captured him at that moment in the alley. Now was not the time though.

I let out a cry of frustration and fell backward onto the bed.

"The only thing you can truly do at the moment is try to help Zuko realize what he truly wants. His inner fire has come from hunting the Avatar for so many years, if he finds another reason to regain his honor; he may stop trailing the Avatar." It sounded like he needed a good woman; he probably had a girlfriend back home, right?

"Does he have a girlfriend that could knock some sense into him?"

"They're broken up." Iroh smiled cheerfully as he eyed me. "I was hoping he'd find a new girl, one who could easily keep him in his place…"

"Where are we supposed to find a girl like that? Once they hear he's a Prince they'll do everything he wants! Or they'll leave as soon as they deal with that temper of his." I placed a finger to my chin as I thought; we'd need a strong willed, tough girl who knew what she wanted, and who wouldn't give in just because Zuko was mildly attractive. "This is gonna take some work, Uncle. I don't know any girl like that."

"Oh I do."

"Really? Well that makes my job easier! Why don't you just set them up? I don't know if it'll work since Zuko's so wrapped up on the Avatar, she'll get bored of that talk eventually." Iroh chuckled.

"Don't worry; she has taken a certain… interest in him, too. I believe they'll make a good couple. I do have your complete cooperation on this task, correct?"

"If it makes Zuko happy- I mean if it makes him stop being such a grump, sure." I blushed and closed my eyes; I just couldn't control anything I was saying today. I still felt jealous for some reason; it couldn't be because Zuko had a girlfriend, right? Why would that even matter to me? I wasn't jealous Iroh was setting someone up with Zuko right? Of course not! I was obviously just being stupid. I really needed to get it together. I'm too amazing to be lusting after some silly Prince… Right? Right! Of course I'm right.

I sounded incredibly stupid arguing with myself. I did this much too often as of late, stupid Zuko. It's his entire fault. I sighed, realizing I'd have nothing to do until he came back and started another argument with me. Hopefully Aang had escaped safely.

And now I played the waiting game to see how the rest of the day would fold out.


	11. Chapter 11

He hadn't come back for a few hours; I was actually starting to worry about the royal jerk. What if he found Aang and his friends? What if they got in a fight and Zuko was bleeding in an alley somewhere, slowly dying? No! Zuko wouldn't let that happen, I'd never seen him fight before, but he just wasn't the type to lie down and die. No, he was much like a mosquito that wouldn't go down without thoroughly annoying his opponent first.

Oh, where was that idiot?

"I need food." I mumbled as my stomach growled loudly; I sent Iroh an embarrassed look.

"You can go down to get dinner; I'll sit here and wait for my nephew. I'll be sure to guilt him by saying you were worried."

"G-good! Wait, no! Not good! I don't care what he does." Iroh wouldn't hear of it, though, and instead pushed me from the room. Well, I suppose I'd be dining alone tonight, too. I sighed as I walked down the hall alone, passing by a few other contestants who were heading back to their rooms. It looks like this place was hosting a lot of them…

I'm glad the table by the turtle-duck pond outside wasn't taken; it was the perfect place to eat and clear my mind. I took small sips of my orange spice tea, which I quickly decided was my favorite, while I waited for the white rice and chicken on my plate to simmer down. I loved the smell of fresh flowers; the world out here was a lot less tense. It was so very relaxing…

"May I sit here?" The deep voice of Zazu broke me from my thoughts; I didn't spare him a second glance.

"Sure." I mixed around the rice on the plate, blowing on it before eating it. Any kind of chicken was my favorite, but this one just wasn't spicy enough. I need to go have a talk with this cook about what flavor is.

"How did you do?" I raised an eyebrow at the Waterbender sitting across from me; it took me a second to understand what he meant.

"I won, of course." I smiled smugly; it's not like the fight had even been that hard. I only had one tiny battle wound, and I'd made my opponent cry when I hardly touched him. That's what I call skill. I may sound really full of myself, but I'm not really a modest person. I knew my abilities well; I wasn't going to beat around the bush and think 'Oh, the fight could go either way' or somethin' like that. I was a proud person. "And yours?" I wasn't really interested, but it was the polite thing to do.

"Won." He replied simply. The rest of the dinner continued on with silence, the occasional turtle-duckling waddling over and begging for a piece of rice.

"I'd feed you some chicken, little guy, but I think of that as cannibalism, and that's wrong!" The turtle-duck simply made a noise and waddled off back to its mother. I watched it with a small smile; how nice it must've been to have a mother to go back to. Zazu was watching me, a small smile on his face.

"You remind me of my daughter." I turned to him with a semi-surprised look; he didn't look like he was that old! "She had a love for animals as well."

"How old are you anyway?"

"Forty three."

"Woah! You're old!" Compared to my seventeen years of age he seemed old, anyway. "Anyway, how old is your daughter?"

"She was ten." Was? Oh damn it Kaya, use your mind for once!

"O-Oh." I blushed, embarrassed. "I'm really sorry. How d-did she…?"

"Fire Nation raid." I winced. Why was I not surprised? Stupid Ozai and his need for power; his desire had innocent children killed. Even though she wasn't my daughter directly I could still feel his pain. I knew what it was like to feel the pain of loss. I gave him a sad smile, he returned with a kind one.

"She has been dead for many years now. I traveled down to join this tournament for money, I had lost my job in my tribe."

"Oh? Are you here with your wife?" I looked around curiously to see if a pretty water tribe woman was around anywhere, walking over to greet her husband. I hadn't seen her with him since we came.

"She died in the raid, as well." My heart dropped again; I was the stupidest person in the world. I looked at him guiltily, to know my Nation was the one that caused him so much pain made me ashamed. What have we come to? I'm glad that I had left, I didn't want to live in a Nation that acts as if it's okay to murder innocent people.

"I'm so sorry." I finally muttered out, beginning to play with my food now. I wasn't feeling very hungry, but Zazu continued eating.

"Do not apologize; it was not your fault." That was a bit shocking to hear, though I was glad he wasn't like Jet, pushing all Firebenders into the same group.

"Most people wouldn't say that, you know." I took a sip of tea. "I'm surprised to find a tolerant person around for once. Everyone blames every person of the Fire Nation for these things." Zazu shook his head.

"You are too young to have caused anything. You remind me a lot of my daughter. You speak your opinion proudly, although it may not be seen as the right one. I was proud of her for it, and I am proud that she was not the only one who had nerve to do so." I smiled a bit, feeling sort of pleased that at least one person in the world had realized honesty wasn't a bad thing.

"Thanks. But… Do you ever feel lonely?" I placed my elbow on the table and rested my chin on the palm of my hand. "I hate being alone. I know your pain may be worse than mine, but being alone is something I know a lot about."

"Pain is pain." Zazu stated simply. "Everyone has known pain at one point in their lifetime. It is how you cope with it that matters." I couldn't say he was wrong, because he wasn't. I coped with my pain by helping others, so that they didn't have to feel that pain as strongly as I had. In a way, they were helpful to me, too, because when I was on the street with that bunch of vigilante children, I felt needed. They needed me or they would've died quickly; they knew it and I knew it. It was as simple as that.

"I wish the world didn't have to be this way." My eyes were trained on my meal; I didn't want to look at Zazu as my eyes were beginning to water. I hadn't ever talked to anyone about this pain I had before, I have never know someone who was old enough to truly understand what I felt.

"You are strong. Inside and outside. You can make a difference. You and your partner." I blushed a bit; he was referring to Zuko. "He has kind eyes, and a tough outer exterior. The two of you remind me of my wife and I, when I first started courting her."

"Oh trust me; there are _no_ feelings there, unless you count anger and loathing." He simply gave me another kind smile and returned to his meal. I tried to do the same, however the depression that had fallen onto me during the course of the conversation had stopped me. I should've known that more than one person in the world had suffered from loss, it wasn't fair. It was fair of the Fire Nation to take away Zazu's family. He was such a kind man…

This was all frustrating me to death; it always had but at this point I was beginning to feel sorry for other people, too. Not just myself. I hadn't realized how selfish I had been before I talked to Zazu about this; I had thought that by speaking my mind I made myself more noticed, I made more people realize that they should change. But I didn't, all I was doing was making them hate themselves. I wasn't making any difference at all.

I hadn't noticed my fist was clenched until Zazu had gently touched it; he forced me to look him in the eyes. I hadn't noticed how much pain and sadness he had hidden behind them. I hadn't realized how badly I had misjudged him from the beginning.

"Do not be sad for me. I have long ago given up on crying for my wife and daughter; I now live my life to the fullest, for them." My lip trembled as I looked at him, stupid emotions! I hated how when I was so frustrated I would tear and break down; this usually induced flames and minor destruction around me. I was normally alone though, now I had to keep myself together. Just breathe; I pushed back the flames that were ready to spring into the air.

"It's not fair."

"Life is not fair, but we learn to live with what you are given…" He stood up, placing his dirty silverware on his now empty plate before he started walking away. "You know, my daughter… her favorite color was red." He left with a smile; the gentle eyes that had brought me some comfort met mine for a mere second before he left.

That little girl was lucky to have a father like that; I wish he had been mine… I couldn't eat anymore, which I was surely going to regret in the morning, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I began a slow walk up to the room; I wasn't sure how I'd react if Zuko was there. As I approached the door it flung open, and I was now staring at the back of Zuko's head.

"I'm going to find her-" I held my hands out so that they pressed against his chest and he turned to me with wide eyes.

"Me? You were the one who was missing for such a long time, buddy." I pushed him back into the room, closing the door with my foot before maneuvering around him and walking over to the window. It had a nice view of the moon at night. Zuko stood beside me, intent on questioning where I had been, but I wasn't quite in the mood to tell him at the moment.

"Kaya-"

"Zuko." I turned to him sharply, my mouth forming a small frown. "Can you promise me something?"

"W-What?"

"When you become Fire Lord, don't become anything like your father. Or I will personally hunt you down and destroy you myself." He sent me a bewildered expression, but nodded slowly, turning to face the moon with me. My frustration had begun to die down as I thought less about what I had just heard. Zazu's family hadn't died in vain, he hadn't wanted to exact revenge for his family, he wanted it for everyone. Just like I did.

My mission to change Zuko was no longer just so I could live in peace, it was for him. It was for the hope of a better world. And I wouldn't let any revenge or honor blind him.

It suddenly felt like the weight of the world was on my back. I hope this got easier, or I'd have a mental break down.

"I think you'll make a good Fire Lord." I whispered as I walked past Zuko to the bathroom; I was actually going to change into pajamas for the first night since we've been here. I looked back at him and smiled warmly; the first step was to let him know that I did believe in him.

It felt good that I didn't have to lie to him about this. Oh Prince Zuko, you're going to be stuck with me for a long time. But the more I thought about it, being with him and Iroh and traveling with them, I realized I didn't mind.

For once, I was truly, and completely, happy with how things were going.


	12. Chapter 12

That time of day came again; I was led down to the arena and forced into a waiting room with significantly less people. I guess plenty of them had gotten knocked out in the first rounds. Good, less competition. I glanced around, noting that there were a lot of 'undefined' around. I guess some benders were at a big disadvantage when facing someone without their bending; I was glad I had learned how to fight with my fists now.

It looks like I'd be coming to face a wonderful warrior today; I couldn't wait. I was so excited to be fighting someone without bending, just to show off my fighting skills. A born warrior, that's what I was. And I wasn't going down without a fight, and I would be damn sure they knew it. I hadn't caught sight of Zazu yet, so he must've already fought…

I walked over to the board that had the matches on it, squinting until I finally found my name. The warrior I was facing was named Kyo, a swordsman. Well how was I supposed to win that fight when I had no weapons what so ever? Not that I couldn't but when he had sharp metal against my bare fists, it'd be a bit difficult. These stupid warriors have an advantage over most benders, and they realized it. Well I'll show this fool exactly who he's messing with!

"You're the one I'm facing?" A disbelieving voice rang out from behind me. I didn't bother turning around for I already figured who it was. Sir Kyo the Swordsman stood beside me, staring up at the matches before his eyes landed on ours. Dark eyes met my own and my temper flared; he was looking down on me. He thought that I wasn't worthy of even being spit on. I twitched, clenching my fist so hard that my knuckles turned white. "How sad. I was expecting someone better."

"I'll show you who's better, you smug jerk!" I growled. He looked at me coolly, smirking and sweeping his hair from his eyes.

"You're nothing without your flames, firebender." He spat out the last word distastefully. "Sad I'll have to ruin such a pretty face." My fists began shaking as I stared at him with my hatred of his attitude growing. How dare he insult me in such a way! He must've thought he was a charmer; he smiled and reached a hand up to touch my face, as if to emphasize the fact he thought it was pretty. I wasn't buying it.

I grabbed his wrist before he touched me and squeezed it as I pushed it away from me. Kyo looked shocked at the amount of strength I had when I had grabbed him but that soon turned into a smirk.

"Oh, you have some strength behind those flames, do you?"

"You'll feel the full force of my _strength _when my fist connects with your face in the arena." I pushed past him, retaining any pride I had left as I walked over to where I had been previously sitting. I hope Kyo was smart enough to know to keep his distance, I didn't have on the bangles yet and he was certainly not safe at this moment. He wasn't going to be safe in that arena either. Why are all the contestants such smug jerks?

"Keep your head calm, and your heart calmer. Your fight will not be good if you attack without thinking." I turned back to face Zazu, who had just walked in with his sponsor. He took a seat at the table as his sponsor hurried off to check who his opponent is. "He does that to many people. You must not feed into his insults."

"Right, right…" I muttered. I should've known that Kyo was doing that to just piss me off, so that when I was fighting him I wouldn't use my mind. "I'll show him…"

"The best thing you can do to people who doubt you is prove them wrong." Zazu offered a comforting smile; it relaxed my nerves a bit and I found myself smiling in no time, the excitement for my match getting more intense. Come on, people, get a move on, I have a match to win! Zazu seemed amused at my sudden energy; I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat as I waited.

Finally the time came to prove Kyo wrong, as I was getting ready to walk up to the small hall leading into the arena, Zazu stopped me. He handed me a rough pair of gloves, ones that were much too big for my hands. He pulled a string around the bottom and pulled so that they tightened and fit to the point they wouldn't fall off in battle. What were these for?

"They are Komodo Rhino skin. Block sword attacks with hand." Zazu patted them. "They are tough." I smiled, thanking him.

"And our lovely firebending princess, Kaya!" I heard my name called and gave Zazu one last grin and a thumb up before walking out in the open. I must've looked absolutely ridiculous with the gloves on, they didn't match my outfit after all, but the point was to fight, not to look pretty. I still heard loud applause for me though; my eyes traveled up to where Zuko and Iroh were, watching me expectantly. I'd make them both proud, too.

"Hello beautiful, having a wardrobe malfunction today?" Kyo smiled as he eyed my gloves; the announcer snapped the bangles onto my wrists. It felt unnatural to not have the chi that I used to firebend flow through me; it was uncomfortable and I wanted this match to be over with.

"Your mind is as slow as a snail-sloth; this is a fight not a fashion show, pretty boy." I took a natural firebending stance, fists up and prepared. Kyo smirked, his hand shifting over to the handle of the short sword that was by his side. The announcer hyped the crowd up some more before announcing we start, quickly backing away from the area as Kyo and I clashed.

The gloves did a lot of good when fighting Kyo, as I found myself able to easily block his attacks without fear of his sword cutting my hands to pieces. The gloves were definitely tough. However, I knew I couldn't win this fight by simply dodging and blocking, I'd have to snake in an attack somehow, and that's where it became difficult.

Kyo may not have had strength, but he had speed. I needed to trip him up somehow, make him drop his guard for just one moment for me to be able to attack. This was so frustrating. He didn't seem to leave any openings, but I couldn't let myself get distracted. The fact he had two swords was bad enough; I had to keep my eyes constantly moving or else I'd be struck.

The crowd was certainly feeding into this fight; there was cheering and booing for the both of us as moves were made. Finally, I knew I had to make a sacrifice or else this would never work. I needed to take a hit, and hopefully the plan worked out how I wanted it to. I grabbed hard onto the sword in his

right hand, waiting for the recovery from the left hand. I winced as fresh pain shot through my shoulder as the steel cut through my skin like a hot knife through better. I pushed down, keeping his sword down with my foot as my fist connected hard with his face.

The sword remained stuck in the dirt while he flew backwards; his sword was roughly pulled from my shoulder and I felt my blood splatter across my face. I had never felt this sort of excitement in a long time. I quickly grabbed the sword; it felt unnatural as I had never held one like this before, however it was my only hope of winning now. Kyo growled as he ran at me again, his nose was trickling blood and looked crooked. I might've actually broken it.

My shoulder was beginning to burn; I didn't enjoy the feeling of blood seeping out on my clothes. I raised my hand, ready to burn the wound closed when I remembered I didn't have my powers. Damn it! I'd have to beat him before I got knocked out from blood loss! That gave me a short time frame to work with, it looks like I'd just have to go wild from here on out. I was good at that.

Swords connected and sparks flew, Kyo was more than annoyed that I had stolen his weapons, but there weren't any rules to it. I grinned wildly, knowing that the more I enjoyed his pain the more I frustrated him. And the more I did that, the less damage his moves became. He was no longer able to calmly concentrate and instead his movements became wild and erratic. He didn't understand I was the queen of being wild. I could easily predict all his movements from here on out; he was becoming predictable.

I saw my opening as his sword wildly swung at my and cut off a sliver of my hair; he'd pay for that! I brought the sword hard into his side. He gasped, dropping his sword before he dropped to the ground. I kicked away his one sword and threw away the one in my hand, just in case he wanted to get brave. He knelt on the ground, his hand painfully grabbing his side. It was beginning to get harder to focus on him, my vision was blurring. Just declare me the winner already! If we both passed out, neither of us would win! The announcer quickly ran between us, raising his hand towards me.

"Winner, Kaya the firebender!" The applause was the last thing I heard before I subsequently passed out.

"She will be fine, Zuko." Iroh's voice was the clearest one through all the commotion I heard around me. I wasn't in the arena anymore; I was on one of those medical cots. I felt a dull throbbing in my head that slowly became more pronounced when I opened my eyes. I winced as the bright lights made the world around me spin.

"Of course I'll be fine… I'm amazing…" I muttered, gaining the two firebenders attention. Zuko let out what sounded like a relieved sigh, well Iroh nodded as if to prove his point. Of course I was fine, I couldn't have been that bad. A deep shoulder wound maybe, but that was all. As if in reply to my thought, a pain shot through my arm to my shoulder, making me wince. "How long was I out…?"

"An hour." Zuko replied. "That was a stupid move you made back there, do you even _think_ before you attack?" I smiled a bit; he had actually been worried about me? Why did the thought make me feel a little… happier? Why did it give me butterflies? Probably because no guy has ever worried about me before and it was nice. Yeah, that's what it was, just an involuntary action. Nothing that'd cause me any trouble in the future.

"Oh! Zazu's fight was after mine…" I glanced around the infirmary quickly, deciding that wasn't the brightest idea I had. My head spun and I found myself beyond dizzy and falling back onto the cot. Iroh's eyes were trained somewhere else though, I slowly followed his gaze and realized he was staring at a body. Zazu's body. I jumped up quickly, this time ignoring the pain in my shoulder as I tried to stand up. Zuko blocked me, almost pushing my back down on the cot but being stopped by my pleading look.

"Either help me or move." I didn't care which he picked, I just wanted to make sure Zazu was okay. Zuko thought for a second before he wrapped an arm around my waste and helped me walk over to Zazu. I blushed at the contact, and the fact his arm was wrapped around my waist, I mean I knew I was dizzy and likely to fall over but he didn't have to go this far… I found that I didn't really mind though.

Zazu was still breathing evenly, but his face was horribly burnt, along with his arms and hands. How horrible… His burns were oozing blood as the medics still hadn't attended to him yet. His eyes were closed but they were moving around underneath his eyelids. He was still conscious; it was just too painful to open his eyes right now.

"What happened?" I asked, the burns were all so horrible. It was that easy to burn someone this badly. His eyes fluttered open for a split second, his eyes meeting mine before he closed them again. He knew it was me.

"Firebender… He is your next opponent…" It was taking a lot of energy for him to speak. "I tried to defeat him so that I would face you instead of him… He is dangerous… Beware of black fire…" My heart dropped as Zazu trailed off, his body remaining still as a corpse. Once I saw his chest moving up and down, I knew he was still breathing, he was still alive and I didn't have to worry myself like that. But this firebender I was going to face, how tough was he? I hope he knows he made a big mistake in hurting Zazu like this.

"Don't worry Zazu, I'll fight him, and beat him." I promised to myself, to him, that I would do this. Maybe I got underestimated a lot because I was a girl, but the people who watched me today should know that I was a warrior. I was born to fight and I wouldn't go down easily. I hoped someone informed that firebender of this.

I was a born warrior and I wasn't going to let him get away with this.


	13. Chapter 13

The days seemed to pass by so slowly as I waited for my fight. I couldn't stop pacing, thinking of all the moves I could use to prove this firebender guy messed with the wrong person. Poor Zazu, he had such horrible scars all over his face now, they wouldn't ever heal. The more I thought about how horribly Zazu had hurt, the angrier I got. I had already ended up setting the curtains on fire, at which Zuko scolded me for.

"You won't win if you let him get under your skin." He stated on day three. It was around noon and the fight was approaching. I knew I had to win, or else I'd be full of shame. I had to win for Zazu. Zuko had been watching me closely for the past three days; I guessed he was waiting for me to explode with anticipation.

"I can't help it! This guy has managed to annoy me so much, and I didn't even fight him!" I gritted my teeth as Zazu's burnt, bloody face came to mind. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve that pain at all. I would make this firebender pay for what he has done.

"You're going to get hurt!" Zuko exclaimed, grabbing hard onto my shoulders and forcing me to look him in the eyes. "If you go in there blindly you're going to get yourself killed." His words made sense, but I wouldn't hear of it. I pushed him away and huffed, locking myself in the bathroom so that I didn't have to hear him anymore. He pounded on the door, obviously annoyed at me not listening to him. If I didn't want to hear what he had to say, I wouldn't listen. I was too stubborn to heed his warnings right now.

The knocking on the door ceased and I assumed he gave up; I didn't move from my place on the bathroom floor though. Was I really overreacting to it all? I took another look in the mirror, frowning and crossing my arms. This tournament had really been getting to me, I felt as if I was more sensitive than normal. If I had just stayed at Yura's Inn none of this would've happened, I'd still be the same person and I'd still have Kim to lean on.

"_Where would the fun in that be?" _I jumped at the hissing voice, spinning around but not spotting anyone. I turned back to the mirror and jumped back, nearly falling into the empty bathtub. Instead of my reflection, there stood the mirror image of a person with a dark red dragon mask on. It had scared me half to death! But what the hell was going on? I didn't feel safe moving from the bathtub, but I decided to brave it. None of this could actually be happening right? I probably passed out from boredom…

"Who are you, exactly?" They were the same height as me; in fact I saw some of my hair peeking from the sides of the mask. They were wearing a skin tight red suit though, so I couldn't exactly see the skin tone.

"_That is a question many ask themselves each day, who are we really? Do we ever truly know whether we are special or ordinary?" _My lips pursed as I waited for them to reply again. It's not like his words made any sense. _"I am you, and you are me." _It reached up and slowly removed the mask; it was me… Except for the eyes. What it was, it's eyes were glowing yellow as they looked me over.

"You are not me!" I exclaimed in annoyance. "We look alike, yes, but my eyes aren't yellow."

"_Technicalities." _It hissed. _"But I came to offer some advice, to you." _I raised an eyebrow; my hallucinations wanted to offer me some advice? How interesting this would turn on to me. I bid it to continue on. _"You'll be facing my brother in today's match; he will be no easy match. You can't win with just your power. I will, to spite my brother, offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity to use my power to defeat him." _

"What're you talking about, your brother?" I crossed my arms and scowled. "You're related to that firebender?"

_"Not the firebender, the entity inside of him that has yet to realize he has been possessed. He found a weak soul, while I bonded with a strong one." _Its eyes remained trained on mine, unmoving, unblinking, and this was incredibly unnerving. At first I hadn't felt the power surging from the figure in the mirror, but now I was beginning to feel it full force. The power it was emanating felt as if it could crush me; I was beginning to breathe heavily. The room was becoming hard to stand in.

"_I was sealed within you for a reason, and it is time that your powers turn into what they could always be. Fight as if your life is on the line, my little flame." _The image in the mirror began to fade away until it was replaced with the real me. I used to be so sure of myself but ever since this stuff began I doubted who I was, I was beginning to realize I hadn't tapped into my full potential. Maybe that's what that daydream meant, that I had to realize what fueled my inner fire.

"It'll let me 'tap into its powers', eh? What a load of crap. I need to stop drinking tea before bed." I rubbed eyes, yawning tiredly before exiting the bathroom. I was immediately grabbed by Zuko, I'd completely forgotten about him, and pushed onto the bed.

"Calm down there, Zuko, some dinner first would be nice." He blushed at my implications, crossing his arms and glaring at the wall instead of meeting my eyes.

"Don't go there. If I listened to your advice, you need to listen to mine." I shrugged my shoulders; he eyed me warily. "You're going to sit there… and listen?" I nodded. I think the fact I wasn't being a stubborn mule put him off; he looked like he was prepared for a fight. I grinned up and told him to continue. "O-Oh well…" He coughed as he tried to recover.

"Oh, that's fantastic advice; I'll cough in his face and kill him with a virus. Shouldn't take too long."

"S-Shut up!" He grumbled. "My point is you have to go in calmly. You can go in swearing on revenge-"

"-or honor-" Insert cold glare here.

"-you have to fight for a reason besides that. Your inner fire is something you need to use, not ignore." I smiled as he continued to lecture me; he was quite cute when he knew what he was talking about. Whoa, when had I actually begun to use 'cute' and 'Zuko' in the same sentence? Only if there was a not in between the two words. But even a girl like me had to admit the thought of having a prince was lovely…

"Mhm, very interesting." I drawled, closing my eyes and attempting to take a small nap. I felt a pillow whap my head and nearly cracked up; looks like he noticed. After his motivational speech I found myself lulling off to sleep; Zuko looked more annoyed than usual. He didn't realize that I had actually listened to everything he had to say. He had started to listen to me after all, I felt obligated to listen to him, too. He wasn't exactly an idiot though; his views on honor and whatnot may be a bit scrambled, but he could speak wisely at times. "Thanks for the advice, Zuko."

"…well your advice worked for me, so I hope mine works for you." He smiled lightly, turning to face me. Zuko twitched. "She fell asleep on me?"

The time was drawing closer and closer, my sponsor hadn't even come by yet and I was jumping and ready to go. I had done the smarter thing and tied up my hair into a tight bun, I didn't need anything else that was viable to catch on fire. With my arms crossed I continued to pace back and forth in front of the window, caught up in my thoughts. What that freak hallucination in the mirror had said about my full potential. Was my power not up to par with normal Firebenders? I couldn't doubt my powers now or I would surely lose.

Zuko entered the room, but I paid him no mind. After he had rudely woke me up by pouring dirty water from a flower vase, we hadn't really talked much. I was too stuck up in my thoughts and he was still annoyed I fell asleep in the middle of our conversation. It had actually been like we were bonding, getting along for once. I had other things to worry about though. Like this match and making sure I didn't turn into a roasted meal.

"Here." I stopped pacing as Zuko intercepted my path and shoved a cup into my hands. "Drink it." He then walked away, smart enough to not bother me anymore. I scowled as he sat on his bed, sipping his tea like he was royalty… He was though. He was royalty and his standards were something I'd never live up to. I sighed, taking a sip of the tea.

It was orange spice tea… Did he know it was my favorite? I glanced back at him questioningly but he wasn't paying my any attention. Too focused on spiting me for falling asleep on him earlier. I didn't feel bad for what I had done, I was tired, it was natural to fall asleep! However I guess he might've deemed it as rude.

"Look, I'm sorry." Oh boy did that take more than I thought it would. I wasn't used to being forced to swallow my pride, however he was managing to make me change and rethink quite a few things. Maybe my policy on apologies would have to go, too. Well, he'd only get one out of me. Only one. He better not become expectant.

He raised an eyebrow. Well I had sort of come out of nowhere with my apology; this was becoming more embarrassing as the moment continued.

"For earlier. Falling asleep on you." He smirked, turning away from me again. What a complete jerk! Granted I hadn't accepted his apology the first time around when we were in the forest, but that's not the point. I hadn't really done anything bad to him!

"That's not why I'm worried."

"Are you still on that? How can you be more worried about me when I'm the one fighting?" His frown deepened.

"Because apparently I care for your health more than you do." He growled out. "I don't think you should fight in this tournament anymore-"

"And I don't think you should be hunting the Avatar but it seems we have different views on many things. I told you I was taking what you said into consideration, there's no need to mope around and make me feel bad about it."

"Oh, I thought you were too good to feel sorry for anyone but yourself."

"Oh shut up! You're the one who walks around here and acts like you're better than everyone. What happens to _me _when you regain your honor, eh? You were just going to dispose of me, send me back to the same village while you got what you want. What about what I want?"

"What do you want?" The question made me pause, to think and to mull it over.

"I don't know…"

'_I want you to still be in my life.'_

"Then why are you getting mad at me?"

'_Because I enjoy your company and I'd miss you.'_

"That's none of your business-" We were interrupted by a knock on the door; my sponsor was here in the niche of time. It was relieving and frustrating at the same time; the argument with Zuko had caused more thoughts to go flying through my head, things I didn't want to focus on. Zuko and I shared a look before I left; I couldn't tell what it meant, I couldn't understand anything anymore it seems.

My battle was the last one of the night; of course it would be, so I was left sitting alone. No Zazu to come cheer me up, or wish me good luck or offer any words of wisdom before I went out there and fought. I kind of missed his company, I wonder how he's doing… As much as I had grown to like Zazu, I realized I couldn't think about him, nor Prince Jerk, at the moment. It'd end up with me being in worse condition than Zazu was…

I knew who my opponent was; he was sitting alone at a table far from mine. He looked like a regular firebender to me, his hair was dark and his were amber, almost glowing yellow if he looked up and the light shined off of them. He had looked at me once and sent chills down my spine, but all in all he hadn't acknowledged my existence. Well he would after I beat the tar out of him! The time seemed to be going by so slowly, soon the two of us were the only ones left in the room.

I took a second to glance over at him one last time, inhaling sharply. A figure with a black mask was standing beside him, staring at me without moving. Well it was staring more at the red masked figure beside me.

'_This fight will not be won easily.' _It hissed. '_My brother has grown that much stronger.' _I turned slightly to look at the masked figure, whose head was no facing me. _'Don't underestimate him as much as he is underestimating you. We will show him soon enough.' _

"Damn right I will." I muttered, leaving the table as the masked figures disappeared and reality became evident. I stepped toward the arena's entrance, my patience was running thin. I wanted it to be my turn now, to prove myself to everyone in the arena. To that jerk in the blue mask, and that guy who thought he could hurt Zazu and get away with it.

Oh yes, he would pay for that.

I inhaled sharply as my name was called first; walking out there to stand in my spot felt different. It felt as if everything around me was going slowly; the cheers of the ground and the announcer's voice seemed to be muffled. I felt a cold burst of air as my enemy passed me by. His name was Taro, eh? Well he'd be the first to fall to the power of my new flames. My inner fire, I understood now what I was fighting for.

I was fighting for myself. I was fighting to live my life, and every day it got harder and harder. But my pride, my firebending skills, is what kept me going. I could win this fight. I can win this fight…

I **will** win this fight.


	14. Chapter 14

The fight didn't start immediately such as the others had; it started with a stare down. His amber eyes never left mine; they seemed to be glowing in the low light of the arena area. I had a feeling the spectators were going to be happy about the fact they were protected. I had yet to see his flames, but the fact Zazu had remarked that they were black struck me as odd. There was an old tale about black flames…

_A long time ago, when Avatar Roku was still alive, he had an enemy. An enemy in the form of a dragon, which everyone knew they were the first Firebenders. This dragon was special; most were red or blue in color, to signify regular flames and cold flames, but this dragon was black. The essence of darkness. It used black flames to attack the Fire Nation; its powers came from the darkness and evil within people's hearts. Its flames could be eternal, never dampening though years could pass. _

_As more villages began to be destroyed by this black dragon, Avatar Roku became desperate to stop the damage. To destroy the evil flames and the black dragon would bring peace between all in the Fire Nation; the rebuilding effort could start again as soon as the threat had been wiped out. One day a solution came to him as he was alone, thinking over the crisis. A dragon, whom was a shade of red he had never seen before, came before him and offered him his power, in exchange for his help in ruling the world._

_Avatar Roku was skeptical at first, before he adhered to the red dragon's request for peace. This dragon was the brother dragon to the black dragon, whose went by the name 'The Kuragari.' The day came where the two dragons met in battle, their fight destroyed many places, and caused complete chaos within the Fire Nation; the dragons had the same amount of power, and neither could manage to get a killing blow. _

_Avatar Roku had gained an idea; not to destroy the dragons but to seal them away within a being with significantly less power. He took two babies; brothers that had been born that day, and summoned all the Priestesses in the land. The fight overhead was still raging; below the Priestesses worked hard on using their chi to drain the power from the dragons temporarily. _

_The black dragon was sealed inside the older sibling; the red dragon would not go down without a fight. Avatar Roku weakened the dragon to the point it could no longer fight, having been weakened he was easily sealed within the baby. Before he was sealed, however, one last sentence rang through the air; all throughout the Fire Nation it was heard. _

'_You have betrayed me and when the time comes, I will destroy you all.' _

I had told Kim that tale as a bedtime story almost every night when she was younger; she used to whimper in fear and hide underneath the covers. I had always joked around that she would get eaten by the black dragon if she didn't go to bed; she listened to me after that. But why did that legend come to mind now? The black flames were formed when someone who was truly heartless, devoid of personality worries, an empty shell of a person, only then were black flames capable.

But Zazu's heart seemed to be so pure; how had he not defeated the evil black flames this guy could produce? The red masked figure that was standing beside me shifted, leaning close to my ear and whispering another word of advice.

'_His flames will leave permanent scars; my flames will leave permanent pain.' _I took on a regular firebending stance, my eyes unmoving as my opponent stared forward, no viable emotion on his face. The crowd around us was quiet; everyone was watching in anticipation to see the first move. _'Move to the right.' _

Without a moment's hesitation I ducked right; good for me because if I had been just a second later black flames would've burned off my ear. They really were black, devoid of any color; I rolled to the side as black flames shot from his foot and nearly hit me again. I felt them lick the side of my face; a cold chill fell over my body. They were as cold as blue flames, but there was another lasting effect.

I jumped up quickly, palm pressed forward as a swirl of bright orange flames swirled in the air. He quickly avoided them, his fingers snapped and another wall of black flames was sent my way.

'_You must use my flames.' _The masked figure appeared behind me, grabbing onto my arms and holding them directly in front of me. _'And push.' _I did as I was told; messing with another Firebenders fire wasn't easy though. I felt sweat drip down my forehead as orange flames met black; he was pushing with an extreme amount of force. My arms began to throb painfully, I almost fell to my knees, but I willed myself to fight. Zazu's face came to mind; his water bending couldn't douse these flames and he fell victim to its effects.

"This is for you Zazu." I gathered my chi to my hands, I was already feeling the fatigue from using so much energy, and pressed forward. The black flames were forced to jump back and his attack was disrupted. Even though I had stopped his flames, I had used to much power to fight him.

'You fool, you put too much in. You'll never be able to sustain my power if you use too much of it on one measly thing!'

"If you hadn't noticed I'm doing the best I can! Will you shut it; I'm trying to fight here!" I snapped, my subconscious was really getting on my nerves. Sometimes I had to clear my mind and let my body go with the flow; I needed to be as free as a flame with my movements. I have to stay swift and aggressive. I shakily stood; I predicted I wouldn't last much longer. I was basically out of fuel but there was still a driving force behind my actions; I was relying on my body to fight until it gives out.

The black flames surrounded me again; they formed a dome around me and blocked the view of the outside world again. As I was ready to make an opening for myself to exit, my opponent's body was flung through. His appearance shocked me; I was caught off guard as I fell back and was pinned to the ground. His breathing was heavy as his glowing eyes met mine; I raised my fist and got a solid punch to connect with his jaw. It hardly fazed him.

"Who do you think you are?" He hissed into my ear, his hands holding down my wrists. I didn't have the energy to force him back, exerting so much energy on one attack was would be my downfall in the future, if I managed to survive this encounter. All I could do was snarl and grit my teeth; he wasn't intimidated. He licked his lips, a sharp tooth showing as his mouth opened. "You can't compare to me." His hand was wrapped around my throat before I could fire back a retort.

'_Fight him off fool.' _The red masked figure was kneeling by my side. _'How worthless are you if you can't even push of a measly puppet?' _

"I am not **WORTHLESS**!" The twin streams of flames that formed in my hand twisted and pushed back my opponent, sending him flying back through the dome of black flames he had made. My flames made a break in his flames; the black dissipated and was clearly overcome. I was panting harder than I should've been; I was weaker than I should've been. Nothing could've prepared me for the strain I was putting on my body today.

My muscles tightened as I tried to stand, with each step I could feel another throb of pain in a part of my body. And there he was, over there, completely uninjured, unless you counted his ego. Ever stoic, he remained still, his hair shadowing his eyes as his head was tilted down. His hand shot up so quickly I hadn't had time to predict his movements before flames licked the side of my neck; I hissed at the pain, it felt as if a million hot needles were being pressed into my neck. The scar will never disappear…

Zazu… Zuko… Iroh… My vision was blurring the more I bit my lip and forced back the pain. I had to continue fighting, I had to push myself over my limits or I'd get nowhere. I raised my hand shakily, letting out another exhausted breath of air before running forward. The battle of hand to hand combat continued for a good minute before he placed a hand on my stomach. I gasped as the pain shot through me. He had used my inner body heat as means to help his fire; the burst of flames went through my body and shot out the back, burning the skin on my back, not including the fact it felt as if my insides were on fire.

I couldn't go on… I staggered backwards, one arm slung over my stomach as I fell to my knees. No! No this couldn't be happening! I wasn't losing consciousness; I still had a fight to win! I began to cough; my blood splattered on the ground and I stared at it, horrified. When had I gotten this bad? Why did I feel as if I was knocking on deaths door? My free hand was the only thing keeping me up now and even that began to grow shaky.

It got harder to see and think; the world was turning black before my very eyes. I couldn't go down without showing him… that I meant business… I gathered my remaining energy into a ball in my chest; he had walked forward and was now standing in front of me. He was looking down on me… as if he was better than me.

"You caught me off guard…" I whispered. "But that won't happen again." Firebending comes from the breath… I inhaled sharply before opening my mouth and feeling the flames shoot out. I couldn't say the feeling was comfortable, but the surprised look on his face was enough. He had been nearly emotionless during the whole battle and I had managed to wipe that off his face and make him mad. I've gotta say I certainly went out with a bang. A grin danced on my face at his horrified look; I hope he enjoys the scar from that…

I fell backwards, letting out a cry of pain as I land hard on my back. The ground made the burning scars on my back sting painfully, but it was nothing compared to the fresh pain stinging my heart. I had lost the battle… I lost. I had promised I would win but… but I just couldn't continue on anymore.

'_Let your scars be a memory of this battle. Let them be a constant memory of your lost honor.'_ The masked figure was a real jerk when it came down to it…

'Honor, eh? I guess I know how Zuko feels now…' was the last thought I had before the darkness took over and I lost consciousness.


	15. Chapter 15

'_The world is a dark, dark place.' _The voice was like a soft whisper; it jilted me from my vegetable like state. My body felt heavy and hard to move, but my head was facing the right, towards the ever unaffected masked figure. It had casually placed itself beside me, its legs crossed and its mask lazily handing from its neck. It was still so weird looking up and seeing a weird copy of myself, acting so quiet and indifferent. _'You have witnessed first hands the horrors of the world. You've felt them. The hunger, the fear, the pain, all aspects of your life that you've suffered through and yet this is how it ends up. Do you find that fair?' _

"Life…isn't fair." I gasped out; a huge pressure was forming in my chest cavity, making it hard to talk.

'_You didn't like Jet because you saw the darkness in his heart, yet you did not know exactly where the darkness came from, did you?'_ Jet? Why would it bring him up at a time like this? I wanted to feel better, not vomit. _'Do you believe in second chances?'_

"Yes…" I whispered softly, letting out another pained gasp. "Everyone d-d-deserves a…second chance." Its eyes met mine, before a smile came upon its face.

'_You have such faith in people._ _But look at what they've done.' _The scene changed and I was forced into a sitting position. The world had turned into an empire; one that was burning down to the ground. The flames felt so familiar as they passed over me. I was like a spirit in this world; I could touch nothing and nothing could touch me. I saw what the masked figure was talking about.

There were the bodies of people, children, lying on the streets. Beaten down, their hopes and dreams destroyed along with their village and their life. I saw a hooded man in the distance, hurrying along. The masked figure urged me on, and I began to chase after the man. As I ran deeper into the wreck of a village, I began to see more. The charred buildings that had nearly turned to dust; the soldiers in Fire Nation uniforms stormed through the streets, destroying anything that stood in its path.

'_You will be forced to betray your unforgiving nature if you truly believe in second chances.' _It walked from the ruins of a burnt house. _'You have given yourself a great responsibility, even if you cannot see it yet. This will be the future if you do not fulfill it…' _I stopped short as four dead bodies lay on their stomachs in front of me, in perfect condition.

Zazu… Kim… Iroh… The last figure was covered with black tarp, even as I pulled that from his face I could still see the soot caked into his hair. Zuko… His mouth was set up in its normal frown but the paleness of his lips, his unmoving body made my heart stop. This was the future? His death… I bit my lip hard to hold back the cry of pain that was rising in my chest. This couldn't be my future! There was no way in hell I'd let this become my future when I was working so damn hard to… to change Zuko's mind about the Avatar.

'_You will be forced to give him a second chance… that will be your __**last **__chance to show him the Avatar is our savior. Your trust will be betrayed but you must forgive him…' _My hand shook as I touched Zuko's face, leaning down to get a closer look. What are you going to do, Zuko? What is going through your mind that will… that would make me hate you? Why would you betray my trust? Damn it, Zuko!

The world became a swirl of color again as the scene faded; Zuko and my other three friends disappeared into the darkness as I was once again brought to reality. I was laying on a cot in the arena, my back and neck bandaged due to heavy burns. I couldn't move at all in this world; my eyes shifted over to the two forms who were sitting beside me. They hadn't left me, had they? Zuko looks so upset… Well, when doesn't he? The vision came to mind again; what was he going to do?

I wanted to call out his name, to bring him close to me... and threaten if he ever betrayed me I'd burn off every single hair on his head.

"Oh Zuzu…" An unknown voice broke through the tension in the air; it was eerily calm. My toes curled as my body began to wake up. The sound of marching came to my ears, from my line of vision I could see Fire Nation soldiers gathered around where I was lying. Zuko and Iroh tensed, their guards were up now. A girl, whose eyes were colder than ice, pushed aside the soldiers as she stepped forward. I heard Zuko inhale sharply and his relaxed form waver at the sight of her. "You should've known better than to hide from me."

She was smiling serenely even as she taunted Zuko. The two looked alike in a way; their eyes were the same in color but the warmth in Zuko's were not present in the girls. Iroh had backed up and was now blocking my view of her; I wanted to tell him to move but I don't think I was supposed to be conscious at the moment.

"Brother, you have something in your possession that I want."

"What could you want from me, Azula?" Princess Azula? Zuko's younger sister? Oh no, I could already tell there was going to be a family feud again. Zuko had stood up and was standing in front of me defensively, fists glowing as fire began to form in them. Azula appeared unfazed, boredly glancing from Zuko to Iroh.

"You have two things I need, actually. And if you're willing to hand them over without a fight I'd be glad to grant you a wish, Zuzu." He growled dangerously. "I want your companions, Zuzu, no need to fight. Father and I have talked… we both agree we think you should come home." It's a lie. It's the biggest and most obvious lie I'd ever heard; this girl was deadly and Zuko… Zuko looked so hopeful now. That vision… What the masked figure said…

"No… Zuko…" I groaned as the pain shot through my body. I shouldn't have talked but it was too late to regret the decision now. "She's… lying…" Zuko's eyes bore into mine and I tried to tell him silently that he was wrong. He couldn't trust her or anything she said.

"I…" Zuko murmured, breaking away from my eyes and turning to face his sister. "You're lying."

"Why would I do that, Zuzu?" She smiled again, holding up her hands to show she wasn't willing to fight. "I want you to come home as bad as you do, but first you have to make sacrifices to regain your honor. It would only require the capture of those two dangerous criminals."

"Not a criminal… stupid… witch…" Azula didn't react to my insult; instead her focus remained on Zuko.

"Isn't that what you wanted? To be reunited with Mai and bring back your honor?" The frown returned to his face but I began to panic. How could this idiot even be considering this complete lie? Come on, Zuko, open your eyes! I know you want your honor back but this wasn't the way to do it. Don't turn in the two people who care for you… I care about you so much… Please, Zuko. Make the right choice!

"What do you say, Zuzu?" Azula held out her hand. "Come back home with me, and we'll have the fugitives thrown in cells. She is a monster after all." Because you should really be talking, lady. I wish I could voice these thoughts but my voice had disappeared completely. All I had to rely on was Zuko; his brain should be able to realize he's being deceived, right?

His nod sealed our fate; the soldiers quickly grabbed Iroh, who did not bother fighting. He gave Zuko a sad look, the look of a man whose heart had just been broken. But I glared. I felt no pity for myself, nor him. He betrayed me. He had destroyed every amount of trust and respect I had for him; he lifted me up and put me into the arms of a Fire Nation soldier. Zuko noticed the glare I was giving him and turned away.

"You don't understand, Kaya." He murmured, closing his eyes. He was right, I didn't understand.

"I don't… I will never understand a person who would turn in two people who cared about him for a pack of lies. I don't… want to even look at you. You have lost all respect I…had for you." I squeezed my eyes shut as I was carried from the arena. Zuko disappeared in the crowd of Fire Nation soldiers as Iroh was cuffed and being forced to march next to me. Our eyes met as the same emotion was running through us; disappointment. I had grown to expect something different from Zuko; he had been so kind when he gave up his food for the starving woman and her child. He had acted understanding when Kim left me… And yet there he goes. All my respect left along with him.

I hated him. I hated him so much. Those were the only thoughts rushing through my head as I was forced into a cell and handcuffed; these were the same kind of cuffs used to force back chi in the arena, except they were thicker. All the cells on the large metal boat we had been piled into were controlled by special locks that only reacted to firebending. Iroh and I were trapped.

I chose to face away from him; I could tell he was in pain and it felt awkward that I could do nothing to soothe him. Two Fire Nation soldiers walked in next, unlocking the door and forcing me to stand and face them. Azula trailed in after they did, sending a spiteful glance towards her uncle before her attention was focused on me. Her eyes were smoldering; I didn't like the lack of warmth and compassion in them.

"As much as I love executions and watching them for some light entertainment, I was given orders not to do so." Her finger glided across my neck and I winced painfully; the burn mark was still painful and unhealed. "That man was an agent sent by me; I had heard of rumors of you and my dear brother being in town. I just had to get some proof. Look at where we are, today." Her serene smile was unnerving.

"Get… away from… me." I growled, pushing against the guards strong holds on either of my arms. Her eyes seemed to glow at my resistance.

"Oh, we have a fighter, do we? I'll show you what happens to them. Guard." My one arm was forced forward, held in place as Azula used one hand to hold my wrist firmly. She held up a finger, a blue flame forming before she pressed against my skin. The feeling of pain shot through me but I gritted my teeth; a drop of sweat slipped down the side of my face as I held back my cries of pain as she begun to form letters on my arm. It hurt… The cold flame hurt so bad that I could feel my body begin to shake from the pained cries I was holding in. I refused to give her the satisfaction; I would hold onto my pride until the last moments of my life.

Her mouth was set into a straight line as she finished; she wasn't pleased that I hadn't made any cries of pain.

"I'll make it more painful next time, unless you start listening."

"Not on your life, Princess." I spat, stepping forward. I was horribly outmatched and ashamed to admit that I had actually felt afraid of her; however she would soon know that I would never go down without a fight. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of being a perfect little prisoner; she was in for a ride if she thought I was. I had tortured her brother, why not attempt to annoy her, too? However I felt she was more likely to kill me than Zuko was…

I was left alone; Iroh hadn't even gotten a second glance from his niece. I was wincing in pain as I slid down the hard wall of the metal boat and fell to the ground. After I was sure they were gone I let the tears spill; I gritted my teeth in a sad attempt of trying to keep them back, but failed. I let out little sobs, but the pain in my heart hurt more than the burns all over my body. How could he have betrayed me? I hope he dies, I hope he burns for this horrible thing he's done…

'You don't.' A voice whispered in my head. 'Your heart still believes he can change while your mind knows he can't…' I didn't want to think anymore, they only made things worse. I heard the scuffle of feet and looked up to see Iroh had reached a hand out towards me.

"Take my hand." The cells were close enough that if we reached across our hands could barely touch. It took a few minutes before I could will my body to move forward, it just hurt so badly. I crawled on my stomach, reaching through the bars until the tips of my fingers touched Iroh. We shared another look before I noticed a tear fall from his one eye. He was suffering from Zuko's betrayal as well, but unlike me, I could still see the hope in his eyes. "Zuko may be gone, but I believe you have kept your promise to me. I hope the determination in your eyes never leaves."

My lower lip trembled. Iroh… I sniffed again as tears threatened to emerge again. Why was this happening to us? Why me? Why Iroh? Why, why, why? I pressed my head against the bars and closed my eyes in an attempt to stop myself from crying again. I felt Iroh's hand tighten around my fingers, causing me too look up and meet his eyes.

"Do not give up hope. I know Zuko regrets his decision; while we are trapped in here, don't give up hope. Keep your determination. You are much too young to die."

"The good always die young, Uncle." I smiled weakly at him, but something about his words were making me… making me hate Zuko a little less. But only a little. I wouldn't forgive him for this easily; I don't know if I'd ever be able to forgive him. This little betrayal would always be in the back of my mind, now.

"I won't… give up… just because of that… jerk." Iroh smiled, retracting his hands as we both went deeper into our cells. "I won't…" I mumbled as I leaned on the floor, my eyes fluttering closed as Iroh watched me from his cell. I wasn't going to give up hope of escaping, I was going to get out of here and knock some sense into that idiot. Maybe give him a matching scar on the other side of his face for being the biggest idiot in the world.

Giving up was not in my nature.


	16. Chapter 16

I felt like my time was slowly slipping away in the large metal boat. We had been sailing for at least a week; it felt as if it had been months. I was growing restless, being forced to sit here and starve. Zuko did this to me… I was still harboring bitter feelings towards him. I don't understand how why I had to forgive him; he should be running back to me, begging for forgiveness. If I ever met with him again he better get on his hands and knees and beg me to spare his life. Not that I could beat him in a fight, of course, but hypothetically speaking the image brought me some peace. The thought of Zuko brought me peace…

I hated having mixed emotions, I knew I was angry, but another part of me worried about him. What was going to happen to him? Azula had been so obviously lying; she was only saying what he wanted to hear. But I wanted to know what she really did do about him… Was he alright? I didn't have time to worry about him; I had to worry about myself first.

After the long trip in the boat we had been moved to a prison on land. Iroh and I were special; apparently, we were given special cells in the large prison, set apart from the rest. I was honored to know Azula considered me a prisoner that deserved maximum security; I'm also glad I didn't have to see her face around much. She just gave me the chills. Another week passed by of absolutely nothing happening, I was withering away in this stupid cell.

'_We have to leave.' _What was better to distract me of my thoughts on Zuko and this boring life, than the very annoying masked figure who had taken over my subconscious? It sat beside me, its mask fully on its face as it faced Iroh. I found it odd that it would look like they would have staring contests; they'd stare at each other for longer hours of the day, as if the masked figure found him familiar. _'You must leave him behind.'_

"I can't!"

"You must." Iroh spoke softly, his head downcast. I crawled to the bars, grabbing them with my hands and trying to get a better look at him. Could he hear it, too? When he stared up at me and regarded my look of surprise with a kind smile. "I would only hold you back at this point." I frowned as I looked at him; I had grown to like the old man so much.

"Iroh." I frowned, crossing my arms. "I couldn't…"

'_You'd be the only one capable of breaking out either way. The power I'm about to teach you only I have learned; so use this skill well. Hopefully I can teach it to you over the next month.'_

"Month? I don't have that kind of time-"

'_Zuko is safe, if that's where your mind lies. He has taken to traveling with the Avatar and his friends; safely hidden away now. You have no need to worry for him; therefore focus on yourself, fool.' _The masked figure stood up and peered from the tiny window, where the only light in the room filtered through; the sun was high in the sky. At night someone would come in and light a lantern, but otherwise the surroundings were dark. It was another unnerving thing about this place.

I sighed, rubbing my throbbing head as I tried to clear my thoughts. I had to focus on what it was saying or I'd never get out of here, that was clear. And I would rather not be executed. I wanna give that little Princess a bit more trouble in her Kingdom before my time was up. I'll be damned if I don't. I turned to the masked figure, determined now to break out. I'll come back for Iroh later, he could handle himself until then, he wasn't the one who had 'traitor' burned into his arm the first day we were captured. I looked down at the scar on my arm and scowled; this only made me want to take her down that much more.

'_Your focus lies on someone other than Azula.' _It hissed. _'Your attention lies on my brother.'_ It sat in front of me now, its hands on its lap. _'What I am going to teach you is very advanced, only a firebending master would be able to learn it. So let us try the basics. I want you to imagine that your hand is a flame. Imagine the heat, imagine the color, and imagine the flickering as if it is actually happening…'_

'That's simple…' I thought silently, closing my eyes. I held up my hand and did as I was told, clearing my mind of anything other than fire. Imagine a flame… an orange flame, flickering, cracking, wild and untamed, free.

'_Relax your body. Don't become alarmed.'_

Relax my body. My breathing became less ragged and got steadier, the headache I had was disappearing. I opened my eyes suddenly; my hand had felt heated, as if it were on fire but… The cuffs were still on and it was impossible to use any Firebending with them on. I sighed in frustration and glared at them, the spirit suddenly taking notice of them, too.

'_They're broken.' _It muttered. _'I broke them when you were sleeping one night; I had to keep them on you to help the illusion that they still worked. You can't directly unlock the cell either; it'll set off an alarm that needs to be deactivated on the outside. You'll have to slip out with what I'm trying to teach you now.'_

Oh how this month was going to be long and painful.

The time passed by quicker than I had imagined; the task the masked figure had wanted me to learn was not something any firebender could easily do. What it wanted me to do was actually turn into the flame, which in turn would force me to partially enter the spirit world. It wasn't an easy task, but seeing as the masked figure lived in the Spirit World, its spirit would be able to pull me in and push me out when needed. It was the only reason I was able to do what I had to for it.

I had to turn into a flame. My whole body would become a flaming mass in my general shape and I could easily slip through the bars if that was activated. I had to be careful or else some body parts of mine would easily be carried away in the wind and I'd end up a mutated freak for most of my life. Concentration was what was needed most, but I could easily do that in my dank cell. Out on the battlefield was where I would have to worry.

The day I was successful was the day I actually got a good amount of sleep; I'd have to break out as soon as possible unless I'd like to be executed. The date for my death was moving closer and closer; oh this would just annoy the pants off of Azula, wouldn't it? I just hoped they wouldn't execute Iroh in my place that day.

Iroh and I had used our imprisonment to grow a little closer, at least I think so. I had learned about the tale of his son and his death; he'd sung for me one night to help me drift to sleep after a particularly hard day. It was true that bad things happened to good people; he might've been a general for the Fire Nation army before but I don't think he was ever a truly evil man. It was just the little mannerisms that made me become so fond of this man; the fact Zuko had turned him in was beginning to infuriate me again. When I finally got a hold of that foul little jerk, he was going to be in for it!

'_You must leave now. Azula has left upon rumors of the Avatar and friends entrance into the city.'_

"They're here?" I muttered, butterflies beginning to flutter around in my stomach. Zuko was here again? Well, why did I care! He wasn't my problem or my responsibility, I'm sure he could handle himself. I crossed my arms and scowled; why was I worrying about that loser when I had a cell to break out of now? A part of me felt happy to know he was alright though… I was obviously just confused. Ignore it, worry about yourself, Kaya…

"Iroh…" I whispered, gaining his attention. "Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?" He chuckled.

"Of course. Now go to Zuko and the Avatar. I have a feeling they'll be in deep trouble if you don't hurry." I frowned but nodded, cautiously stepping up to the bars. I squeezed them tightly; yep, still solid. Looks like there was no way to get out of it. I was still nervous about my ability to do it but I inhaled sharply, closing my eyes and breathing slowly. Imagine you are a flame. Simple enough, right?

It took a few minutes before I had managed to concentrate completely; once I felt the tingling all over my body I knew I had become a simple mash of flame. Carefully move over, come on, don't get caught on anything… I felt as if I was being pulled wildly around the room as I attempted to slip through the bars; it was hard to control yourself when you were just a bunch of flames. Once my concentration snapped I turned solid again and landed hard on my butt.

"Ow…" I muttered, rubbing my sore backend before standing up. The masked figure easily walked through the bars to join me. I stopped, staring at Iroh for a few minutes before I realized they'd kill him if I left now. I had to give them a reason to believe he knew what I was doing; well, it was a crazy idea but I don't think I was ever truly sane. A new outlook on life should come with a new hairdo, right? I bunched up my hair in my hand, igniting a flame on my finger before slicing through. I felt the pressure on my hair loosen as the now singed ends rested on my shoulder.

Iroh had begun to watch me curiously; he raised an eyebrow as I reached into his cell and attempted to hand him my chopped off hair.

"Offer it to them. Say you tried to stop me and that I cut off my hair; they'll let you live long enough for me to be able to come back and save you. Got it?" He smiled, holding out his hand as if to grab the hair but instead grabbing my wrist and pressing me against the bars. A hug ensued; though awkward with the two bars between us it had a meaning. I pulled away with a smile as Iroh took my hair. "Goodbye for now."

"You are a brave, brave girl." I grinned. "Although you are as subtle as a komodo-rhino." I offered him one last encouraging grin; he had to survive in there long enough for me to come back after all. I had no doubt in my mind he would; he was tough. Now, I just had to lure a guard in here and steal-

"Hey, what're you doing out of your cell!" Perfect timing. A man wearing a black cloak with a dark hood over his head ran towards me, his spear reared forward. I easily pushed it aside and got a solid punch to connect with his jaw. His eyes began to swirl as I snatched the coat off of him and kicked him out of the way; Iroh would have to handle it from there.

I was never the best at stealth; I now had to make my way through a large facility towards the gates that were being guarded. The cells we had been placed in were on top of a cliff; there were stairs but I doubted that was the safest way to go at the moment. I heard the stomping of soldiers as they filed forward; Azula was leading them up. They had come to collect me; they were ready for my execution. I quickly ducked behind a few barrels that were placed a few feet away; as much as I'd love to just shove it in Azula's face that I had escaped her clutches, it'd be a stupid thing to do, even for me.

I pulled the cloak over my head as the soldiers took their posts at the door, casually sending them a nod as they eyed me suspiciously. I kept my hair covered and my eyes downcast; I scurried past them without a word from them, the taste of freedom was sweet. A burst of blue flames that had shot through the door and nearly maimed the guards alerted me to the fact Azula now knew I was gone; good luck, Iroh…

I started running down the stairs with as much speed I could muster; I needed to leave now, and quickly. I could already hear the guards that were soon following me. They were everywhere, and I barely had time to duck behind objects to avoid them. It looks like this whole prison was a small gated in community; there were cells all around.

I spotted him as I got closer to the door, being forced to hide inside an empty cell in the dark as he began to pass by; he was soon joined by a furious Azula. She had managed to still look contained, although certainly not as serene as she had been on our first encounter; she dropped the red strands of my hair into his hand. The bad dragon. The demon. They shared a look.

"I want you to find her and _destroy _her." Azula ordered. "If my brother is with her, leave him be. I will gladly be the one to cut him down." He simply nodded, turning and ordering the gates to be opened. A brilliantly dangerous idea ran through my head, this was the only way I could get out after all. A mad dash for the gates… I took a deep breath, slowly leaving my hiding place and dashing past Azula; her eyes had grown wide before she realized it was me. Blue flames shot past my head but I blocked them out; my main focus was the open gates.

He stopped and turned the glowing eyes I had grown to hate meeting mine. He didn't stop me as I ran past him, his flames missed as Azula's had. And now it was time for the show. I clapped my hands together and began to imagine the form of a dragon, beginning to mold the fire within so that when it took form, the large dragon careened into all soldiers heading for me; it forced Azula to stop for a moment. A moment was all I needed.

I wasn't too far off from the mainland; there were a few metal Fire Nation ships beginning to load at the docks. I jumped from the wooden dock that shook under my feet, and began to expertly move through the hands of the soldiers. I pulled myself up by grabbing onto the rail, jumping from ship to ship as more soldiers began to form. I could hear Azula shouting orders, but that was the least of my worries. Now I had to swim…

I dived from the dock and the rain of fire that was chasing after me; water wasn't exactly my forte but I could swim well enough. I could feel the ice cold of the water dampening my firebending powers; I pushed hard against the waves and evened my breath in an attempt to last a bit longer. I blocked out any yelling I heard in the background; for now being on dry land was my priority, as was getting out of this stupid water. I reached solid ground and sputtered happily, kissing the warm, dry ground lovingly.

"I am never swimming again." I panted, rubbing my shoulders. I would dry myself off, however it seems they were catching up. I grinned and turned back, waving cheerfully before running off into the town, where I was met with a surprise. It was burning and destroyed; it looked as if it had been raided. But… this was in the Fire Nation. Why would they begin to turn and destroy themselves?

'_When someone becomes too powerful, they can easily become manipulated. The soldiers were forced to raid their own home; to destroy innocent civilians who wouldn't give up any information on the Avatar.'_

The streets looked just as it had in my dreams; there were the bodies of innocent people. As I began to head into town I saw the murdered forms of children lying in the street. I winced and looked away; the death of a child was one thing I could never truly swallow. I was forced to step over the bodies in the streets, to ignore the smell of fresh blood… Lord Ozai, why have you fallen so far into darkness that you can no longer see what is right and what is wrong?

'_Keep your eyes open. This is life. This is what people do to others; this is why they all deserved to be destroyed. Your hope is what keeps my flames from turning black…'_ I turned around to face the black figure in time for me to see the cracks in its mask. Slowly the blue peeled away and flew through the air, revealing the black mask_. 'I am the dragon that you so desperately wished to 'defeat'. It was the only way I could gain your trust-'_

Out of nature, I shot a fireball in its directions, becoming discouraged as it simply passed through. It had made no attempt to dodge it, either. It simply stood.

"How... Why don't I have- You're the bad guy! I have the bad one sealed inside of me?" As I was arguing with myself the mask sighed unhappily.

'_We are making no progress with you talking to yourself, fool.' _

"Hey, I have a lot of questions to ask you!" I could hear the sound of approaching footsteps but stood my ground as the masked figure and I had a stare off. Without me he couldn't do anything. His soul was still inside my body; if I died now, it would, too. It seemed to realize what was happening, glancing back at the approaching soldiers before stepping beside me.

'_I will answer whatever you wish. Just go.' _Ah, satisfaction was pleasant. I gave the place another sad look around before taking to the rooftops; it wasn't exactly a good hiding place but I had to look around town. Plus, these buildings were all close together and the streets were pretty widespread. If I traveled across them I'd be out of their clutches in no time!

I did as I planned, hopping from roof to roof and hoping they wouldn't cave in on me. Tiles were falling as my feet pushed on them, but I kept my mind focused on propelling myself forward. I could see even more bodies from here, even more damage that had been done to this town… It was hard to look at but it was a reality that needed to be accepted. I stopped and ducked behind a particularly pointed roof as I spotted him. The good dragon. How had he managed to find me so quickly?

"You need to talk now, and quickly! Why aren't your flames black?"

'_Black flames are not evil as everyone presumes They come once you begin to realize the darkness in your heart and use it to your best ability. But a flame as orange as yours is rare. It comes from someone who has pure intentions but knows of darkness. Being inside of you has shown me many things, as well as compassion for others. Passion for fighting. Your sheer will would be inspiring to many. You are the spitting image of your mother.'_

"My mother…" I whispered softly. "You knew my mother?"

'_She was the being who held me before you. My soul is passed onto the female kin in the family, until my purpose is served. My brother had been born to her brother, and thus the boy you face is your cousin. He was the 'good' dragon until he saw the greed within the human race. As I began to purify my flames, his became tainted with the evil of a humans heart.'_

"You've gotta be kidding me. Than where does this hair come from?"

'_You were made unique, as I was unique, too. How often did you find a black dragon around, before we were completely wiped out, of course?'_

"But… why does he want to kill me?"

'_The two of us, if brought together, will be forced to clash constantly. After a long time, it becomes tiring and we are both wishing for the end of this painful fight. I'm placing my trust in you, to help me end this so that he doesn't destroy the world.'_

"You are the Avatar." My head whipped around and I nearly blew my cover as I carefully shifted across the roof without bringing attention to me. He was standing in front of them, something clenched tightly in his hands. He was facing a large group of people, who wouldn't stand a chance whether the numbers were in their favor or not… Wait, did I see a purple arrow?

"Aang…" I whispered softly. The figures below began to become clearer. Some girl I didn't know was standing at the front beside a boy whose skin resembled Katara's in color. Then there was Zuko, standing beside a little blind girl. There was Jet and Kim, standing near the back… It was like one big, awkward reunion for me. They shouldn't be what I was worrying about though…

"She is dead?"

"Who?" Katara shouted back, she was standing protectively in front of Aang. His hand unclenched a few fine pieces of my hair flew with the wind. Zuko's eyes widened as the wisps of hair floated through the group; my poor hair should still be attached to my head… I frowned and touched the singed parts of my hair.

"The only one who can stop my flames." A grin broke out across his face as black flames formed in the palms of his hands. He was soon joined by a small group of soldiers that now outnumbered the group. They all positioned themselves in a fighting stance, but without me those black flames would eat them alive. I'm sure they would be able to handle the soldier's just fine…

I slid down the roof, no longer caring about hiding myself. I had to protect them all, even that jerk that turned me in, and that other jerk I despised. I was on the edge of the roof and had gained all the attention, from both groups of people. The hood over my head still kept my identity a secret.

"You shouldn't count your chickens before they've hatched." I snickered at the look of annoyance crossed my enemies face. The red dragon was not pleased; he had assumed I had been killed by now. He was in for a big surprise. "Looks as if you've got it wrong, again, brother."

"Get her!" He ordered the soldiers to march forward and surround me. I grabbed the hood and easily tossed it aside, sliding off the roof and landing on the shoulders of two Fire Nation soldiers. After knocking them down a flipped in the air, landing in the middle of a circle of soldiers. Each took a turn, which I found very polite, as they waited to get their butt kicked by me. Flames were flying wildly through the air as I took out each soldier with a well placed punch or kick. Soon they were all a groaning pile of losers at my feet. I grinned proudly, but it couldn't last too long.

'_Look out.'_It was the second time in my life I had seen those black flames collide with mine, but this time I was better prepared. I was ready to fight him this time around.

**I wasn't going to lose this time. **


	17. Chapter 17

The fighting ensued; it was hard to stay focused with Fire Nation soldiers constantly smothering me. I was strong, but not good enough to fight off a million Fire Nation soldiers along with the Dragon. I glanced back; all the others were busy fighting their own battles and I was too far up to help any of them.

I could the feel the fire and burns from the soldiers on my back and arms; I couldn't manage to push through them. He was looking down on me now, no longer shocked. He had gained control of the situation again. I wish I could wipe that look off his face with a nice fireball, but I remembered I could waste my energy on unimportant things. If I did, it would end up just like that night in the arena.

More soldiers were beginning to file into the alley where the fighting was starting; it was clear that there was no winning to be done here. I saw Jet grab Kim, and the unknown boy grab the other girl, but Katara, Zuko, and Aang remained fighting. Zuko appeared furious as he cut through the soldiers; former allies turned enemies. It was odd to watch Zuko turn on his own Nation; it finally hit me that he was fighting against them.

My attention turned back to a guard who was swinging a sword wildly in my direction; I think he deserved my attention more than that backstabber. It was so easy to avoid his attacks it was laughable, was he new to the army or something? He served his purpose well though; not to whom I expected either. I felt a hand grab hard onto my arm, pulling me from the thresh of soldiers.

"Get off me!" I snapped as I saw who it was; I growled as his grip tightened. Zuko stared at me with hardened eyes, not releasing me from his grip. He pushed me away as he fought off the soldier that had been attacking me; I hadn't ever seen him fight before but now that I had… He wasn't half bad. Had I expected him to be complete trash? Not really, but he had some real skill; once he reached his sisters level of genius was when I'd really admire him.

"Let's go!" Katara grabbed onto Aang, glancing back at Zuko and I for a second before retreating. It felt as if the running would never end as the alleyway seemed to stretch farther and farther.

"Be ready." Zuko murmured; he was running by my side and should be thanking the heavens above that I hadn't set him on fire yet. Especially for the rough grip he had on my arm. Before I could form an insult though, I realized what he had meant to be ready for. As I plunged from the side of the cliff I had just been pulled off of I screamed in shock; this is the second time today I was being flung into water!

That wasn't a smart idea, as I hit the water it filled my mouth and lungs. I panicked as I sunk down, my lungs already felt as if they were going to burst if I was kept under any longer. I couldn't fight my way to the top; the water was sucking me down into the dark depths of the ocean, or whatever body of water I had been forced into. The world around me grew faint and the rushing of water was the last thing I heard before the world blurred and went dark.

When I was brought back to consciousness I immediately began to cough up all the water that was in my lungs, not enjoying the feeling of having to gasp for air. Once I had managed to regain control over my breathing I glanced around the room; well, it was more like the inside of a large tent. I was laying on the ground with a thin piece of blanket thrown over me. It didn't stop me from shivering, as I was still soaked. I must not have been out too long if I was still soaking wet, I wasn't as warm as I normally was though.

"Kaya!" I let out a gasp as two arms were flung around me and held on tight. Kim… I had almost forgotten she was in the group that I had run into… It felt nice to be in someone who was so familiars arms. I smiled, managing to hug her back weakly before she pulled away. She was observing me carefully now, looking for any sign of injury. It was odd, being on opposite ends like this. Normally it was I who was looking out for her. It just didn't feel right that she was worried over me.

"Kim-"Before I had a chance to question her on our whereabouts Katara stepped inside, and upon seeing I was awake, joined Kim by my side.

"Are you alright?" Kim asked. "We came to rescue you, but it looks like you got yourself out, not that I hadn't thought that'd happen." I let out a laugh, but ended up choking again. I felt horrible; the freezing water had obviously done a number on my firebending. I couldn't even dry myself off, nor could I create a flame on the tip of my finger as I could. Katara frowned as she saw my weak attempts at bending.

"I'm sure they'll come back once you get warmer-"

"Were you the one who fished me out of that water?" I asked her, interrupting her sentence. She looked taken back for a second before replying.

"Well, no, Zuko did." Kim snickered at the annoyed look on my face. "He wanted to talk to you when you woke up."

"Too bad I don't want to talk to him." I scowled and crossed my arms unhappily, feeling my cold arms; I wondered where my shirt had gone.

"I got you new clothes." Kim smiled, standing up and exiting the tent to fetch the clothes she had gotten me. I sent Katara a wary look; she had been at one point, my enemy. Was it smart to trust her and her friends now?

"Why did you save me?" She smiled warmly.

"You helped out Aang once, we only thought it right to repay you."

"Well now that I've been repaid, I'm allowed to leave right?" Katara's smile turned into a frown, even as she nodded.

"Well, yeah, but Zuko said you were going to-"

"Zuko has **no **control over anything I do; it was stupid of you to believe him that I'd stay." Katara ignored the attitude that had been thrown her way; I don't think I really would've said those things had I not been starving. My stomach let out a loud growl; I blushed darkly as I placed my hand on it. I wonder how long it'd been since I had a good meal. That bland mush I got in the prison wasn't anything like the food I used to cook.

"I have some soup, if you'd like, I could get you some." Katara had stood up before I replied and exited the tent, leaving me alone again. I took another look around, warily trying to stand up. My legs wobbled a bit but I managed to walk across tent and back to the spot I was sitting in without tumbling over. I just needed to stretch my legs…

"Kaya." I froze at the familiar sound of his voice, looking up to meet his amber colored eyes. He was still wary of being too close to me, which I couldn't say was a bad thing.

"I hope you don't plan on being in here when she brings me the hot soup, because I can't say you'll be safe." I stated coldly, closing my eyes and crossing my arms. I didn't want to look at him because when I did I only got more confused. I had thought of so many things I had wanted to scream at him when I found him again but now that I actually saw him again I felt so relieved. I didn't want to feel that way, I wanted to feel angry, I knew how to act when I was angry.

He didn't reply to my obvious threat, instead he changed the subject.

"Where's Uncle?" It sounded like more of a command to tell him rather than a question. 

"…" I didn't want to admit I had left him behind, but I had to. I had at least reassured his safety for awhile, if they thought Iroh knew where I was and that he'd tried to stop me. Maybe the Fire Lord would even show him some mercy… "Probably still in the cell."

"You just left him?" Zuko looked at me, annoyed. "And you think what I did-"

"You mean betraying me and your uncle? Yes, I do. You didn't plan on rescuing us until you met these guys, you didn't care… you don't care about anything. You're all high up in your little princey haven and you don't take a chance to look down at how you affect other people-"

"Because your constant yelling and bad attitude helps? You act like a brat who has nothing-" He growled back. The glare between the two of us intensified.

"Tell someone who cares! I told you before, and I've told plenty of others, your stupid opinions don't matter to me!"

"You don't listen to anyone when they try to help you-"

"Because when I started to actually care about you, you betrayed me!" The silence was deafening at my last outburst; Zuko was staring at me with wide eyes. "I won't let myself be taken advantage of again!" I had stood up by now and made my over to Zuko, with each word I said I poked him in the chest. "Now get out!" I whirled around, ready to walk back to my makeshift bed when I stumbled over a boomerang that was lying in the middle of the tent area.

I felt arms wrap around my waist to stop me from face planting into the ground; I blushed as I pushed him off of me and quickly sat down to avoid any other mistakes. I was still mad at him, after all! I had nothing to say to him anymore. But when he'd touched me, I felt a chill go down my spine; his touch had caused my head to spin more than it already was. He glared at me again before huffing and leaving the tent without another word.

I didn't regret what I said but a little part of me had hoped that he stayed. I was too stubborn to call out for him to come back though; like hell I would beg for him to come back.

Kim entered with the clothes, which I was grateful for. This wasn't nearly as revealing as those horrid arena clothes I had been forced to wear; it was a dark red shirt that slipped easily over the bandages; it was soft and warm, too. The pants were made of the same material as the shirt; though I was sad they ended at my knees and didn't keep the bottom half of my legs warm as well. The same happened with the shirt; it ended at my elbows instead of stretching all the way down my arms.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly as she took my old clothes and placed them into a bag. I shook my head; I didn't want to worry her about Zuko. I'm sure she had enough on her plate.

"How'd you get to be here with them?" I was curious to how she met the whole gang.

"Oh, well…" She tipped her a head a bit, deep in thought. "I'm not sure. I remember a fire in the village, and the smoke… I passed out and when I woke up, I was travelling with these guys!" She didn't seem worried at all, however I became alarmed.

"You passed out? Are you alright? Why'd you pass out?" She pushed away my hands, embarrassed at the attention.

"It was a week ago; I doubt you'll find any signs of injury now! I've been fine for days, Kaya!" Even though she was attempting to reassure me, I gave her another look over before my questions stopped.

She stood up, twirling around in her new outfit that I hadn't noticed before. It was all too revealing and tight; I bet that perfect Jet had forced her into it. Although it could've been Kim showing her braver, prouder side. She smiled, striking a pose in an attempt to model her out fit for me.

"Don't you like it? I made it myself!"

"Stabbing my eyes would be more aesthetically pleasing than that mess." She glared at me, crossing her arms and pouting.

"You don't have to be so rude about it." She left to find Katara, who had been gone for quite a bit. I guess Kim was getting tired of me whining for food. I was lying on my stomach now, playing with two tiny pebbles. The smooth, cooler looking pebble was me, while the jagged and ugly one was whatever that guy's name was. I should really name him. I will name him 'loser', as that is what he obviously is. A sore one at that.

"Hello Kaya, isn't it a nice day to be shooting black flames at everyone?" I wiggled the cute rock a bit as I made the two meet in the center of my vision.

"No Loser, you should stop and listen to me because I'm awesome and beautiful!"

"You are beautiful and I agree!" I wiggled the ugly rock as got closer to my rock, giving it a mock hug. "I am forever in your debt and will remain your servant until time ends."

"I agree with this statement-" When I heard the sound of the tent being entered again, I figured it was Katara with the soup I had been promised. I sat up, tossing both rocks; I was met with Zuko, standing awkwardly with a bowl in his hand. I crossed my arms, scowling as he stepped closer and placed the soup in front of me. I think he was expecting to have the soup end up on his head with the bowl as a hat; however my growling stomach protested to the idea.

I let out a tired sigh; it had been awhile since I'd seen him, or any new faces for that matter. I couldn't continue to give off this attitude, the comment I had directed towards Kim earlier had slipped out by accident. I hadn't really meant to insult her fashion sense… Just like I didn't mean to insult scarface over here, even if he does do everything wrong. I believed in second chances more than anything, but my heart and mind remained stuck on the fact he betrayed people who cared about him. Would he do it again, if given the chance? Was it safe to put my trust in him ever again?

"I don't feel like fighting." I stated suddenly; Zuko looked at me confused for a second before nodding. "I just… Not now anyway. I'll tell you how you can make it up your betrayal later, for now I'll act civil. But I suggest you watch it. Now… can you do me a favor?" He quirked an eyebrow as my cheeks heated up; damn it, Kaya, keep it together! What're you feeling so shy about? Just ask him!

"Can you… heat this up for me; it's sort of cold…" I muttered, handing the bowl to him. He looked confused, as if he as expecting something else, but quickly took the bowl from my hands. After it had begun to steam enough, he handed it back and I gratefully began to sip down the soup. It warmed my insides and sent wonderful feelings through my body. I could already feel the cold feeling from the water wearing off on the fire that rested inside of me; I'd be back to normal in no time. That thought put me in a much better mood than I had been in before.

I felt Zuko's eyes on me and tried my best to ignore it as I ate; however, it got to the point where it began to annoy me. I looked up and glared at him.

"What're you looking at?" I muttered, slurping down the rest of the soup. It could use some more spices, but otherwise it was amazing compared to the food in the prison.

"Your hair." Zuko replied quickly. "You cut it." I self consciously brought my hand up to touch the burnt edges of my hair, frowning. I had always been proud of my hair, I wanted to grow it out as long as I could, but it looks like that goal was being set back for awhile.

"Yeah." I murmured, placing the bowl on the ground and laying back on the ground, putting my hands behind my head as a make-shift pillow. "It doesn't look to bad, does it? I did it sort of quickly, sort of pressed for time and wasn't focused on making it too clean cut." Zuko blunk a few times, searching for the appropriate words to use that wouldn't induce my wrath. "I mean- I like it." I shrugged my shoulders.

"At least one of us does."

Silence ensued, but it was less awkward than before. It had felt almost as if everything had gone back to normal. I couldn't help but smile at the feeling; it was so nice to be able to relax for once. Zuko had seen me at my worst; not even Kim had seen me beaten down and defeated. Maybe it was because when it came to her, my aggressive side was always prominent.

It wasn't unusual for me to question myself nowadays, but I was beginning to see myself in a new light. Maybe the attitude I had didn't gain me respect, maybe it got me fear. Maybe my whole life I thought I was strong and brave when I was truly just a weak person who hadn't had the chance to prove myself. I liked myself the way I was, but maybe I could use some tweaking here and there. Not that other people couldn't, I mean I was pretty close to the definition of perfection…

"Kaya?" I hadn't noticed I had been lost in thought and looked up to meet the curious eyes of Kim and Katara, who had both entered the tent. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A lot." I smiled at Katara. "Thanks for the soup… and sorry… for being so rude earlier." It took more to apologize and admit I had acted like a fool than I thought it would. I guess fessing up to the fact I could be rather obnoxious was step number one to becoming a better person? Yeah, like that would happen.

It never hurt to try though.

My outlook on life was beginning to change, so why shouldn't my attitude, as well? I had a big job on my hands alone, I couldn't let it mess with this groups mission either. It wasn't going to be easy, nothing ever is for me, but I couldn't help but feel I had something moving me along. I took a quick glance at the three who were in front of me, Katara's smile, Kim's worried look, Zuko's… Zuko. I couldn't really think of words to describe our relationship besides odd, but now I think I was beginning to understand him more.

He had been lost just as I had; he had lost his purpose and had reacted the wrong way. He had problems like I did, an inner struggle that he was being forced to go through. I hadn't ever considered his feelings; maybe this was what he had meant by I would never understand. Even if I couldn't, I could try, right? Zuko wasn't all that different from me than I first thought he was. Just a good person who had made wrong choices.

I think I was really beginning to see Zuko in a new light.


End file.
